Our Supporters
02 Oct 2020
This article is more than 3 years old

Thank you for helping 67,199 men at higher risk of prostate cancer to speak to their doctor.

Our campaign to find men at higher risk is off to an incredible start thanks to you. But we must keep up momentum over the coming months.

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This Autumn we’re asking you to use and share our thirty-second risk-checker to find men at higher risk of prostate cancer and help them speak to their doctor.

The impact of COVID-19 has meant thousands of men across the UK have undetected cancer and risk being diagnosed too late, when it’s incurable. We’ve seen the biggest drop in referrals for suspected cancer in 10 years. Many men with prostate cancer don’t have symptoms, so we need a simple way to speak directly to men at higher risk, and we need your help to do it.

Your response has been immense. Thousands of you have been sharing our risk-checker and telling powerful stories of why you spoke to the doctor. Thousands more men now understand their higher risk and have some tools and information to have a conversation about the pros and cons of a PSA blood test. Thank you!

Here’s what we’ve achieved so far:

85,037 people have used the risk-checker

Anyone can use our simple thirty-second risk-checker for themselves or someone else. It asks three quick questions and then gives clear advice on what you should do next.

 

We advised 67,199 men at higher risk to speak to their doctor

This Autumn we’re asking you to use and share our thirty-second risk-checker to find men at higher risk of prostate cancer and help them speak to their doctor.

The impact of COVID-19 has meant thousands of men across the UK have undetected cancer and risk being diagnosed too late, when it’s incurable. We’ve seen the biggest drop in referrals for suspected cancer in 10 years. Many men with prostate cancer don’t have symptoms, so we need a simple way to speak directly to men at higher risk, and we need your help to do it.

Your response has been immense. Thousands of you have been sharing our risk-checker and telling powerful stories of why you spoke to the doctor. Thousands more men now understand their higher risk and have some tools and information to have a conversation about the pros and cons of a PSA blood test. Thank you!

Here’s what we’ve achieved so far:

85,037 people have used the risk-checker

Anyone can use our simple thirty-second risk-checker for themselves or someone else. It asks three quick questions and then gives clear advice on what you should do next.

 

We advised 67,199 men at higher risk to speak to their doctor

 

Men over 50, black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer are at higher risk. We shared information to help make the conversation with their GP easier, and our Specialist Nurses hosted a webinar on prostate cancer and what to expect when you speak to the doctor.

Some familiar faces helped get the word out

Former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull is the friendly face of the campaign, backed up by Eastenders’ Davood Ghadami sharing the story of his Dad’s diagnosis. We also got a major boost from the support of actors Stephen Fry, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Oaten and Christopher Timothy, plus Sky Sports' Jeff Stelling and Johnny Nelson. And from the world of football, Chris Powell and Nigel Pearson gave us the keys to their Twitter feed for a day, as did the former Wales and Everton goalkeeping great Neville Southall.

Our partners made a splash across the worlds of music and sport

Our football club friends like Millwall, QPR, Brighton & Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff City, and many others spread the word online.

In the cricket world, The England and Wales Cricket Board and the two counties which contested the Bob Willis Trophy Final, Essex and Somerset were among those who echoed Sky Sports' in sharing the story of cricket legend Bob."

Absolute Radio got the message across the airwaves, with special thanks to presenter Sarah Champion, whose dad has been affected by the disease.

And our corporate partner, EDF encouraged staff and customers to have lifesaving conversations. EDF employee Karl Tye shared his own story of diagnosis and spreading the word among his colleagues...

Hundreds of you shared stories of why you spoke to your doctor

“I want to help save lives, like you saved mine”. That was the sentiment expressed beautifully by Andre in a letter to Jim, a Prostate Cancer UK volunteer who spoke at his workplace and told him that family history was a risk factor for prostate cancer. This realisation led to Andre’s own diagnosis.

Inspired by this sentiment we asked our supporters to share their reasons for speaking to the doctor to encourage others. Hundreds of you got involved.

Special thanks to Karl Tye, Melvyn Ratcliffe, Gary Davis, Tony Collier, Karen O'Rourke , John Taylor, Ken Bashford, John Brownless, Abbie Brown and her dad, Lauren Clark and David Willis.

Thank you. Let’s keep up the momentum!

It’s been a monumental effort, but we can’t stop now. There are still thousands of men out there who know little about their risk of prostate cancer. Please keep sharing and talking to help save lives. #MenWeAreWithYou.

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