African Caribbean men help to spread prostate cancer message

A video featuring the personal experiences of men with prostate cancer will be showcased in Leicester at an event to raise awareness of the disease among African Caribbean men.

An inspiring 12-minute video clip highlights the heightened risk of prostate cancer for men from black and minority ethnic groups through the first-hand accounts of those who have successfully undergone treatment.

It is part of a broader campaign taking place across Leicester to raise awareness of the condition.

Viewers are told what symptoms to look out for as well as what to expect from the first visit to the GP and the treatment available.

The event, supported by the Leicester-based Centre for BME Health, will take place on Saturday 15 September, at the Moat Community College in Maidstone Road at 3pm.

The Centre for BME Health is funded by the University of Leicester and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East Midlands.

Pamela Campbell-Morris, who is a Project Assistant and Community Champion at the Centre for BME Health, said: “These inspiring accounts from the men who have kindly shared their stories will go a long way in spreading the prostate cancer message. I would encourage both men and women to attend this informal event.”

Professor Kamlesh Khunti is the Director of the NIHR CLAHRC East Midlands and is also Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester.

He added: “Statistics show one in four Afro Caribbean men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives, compared to one in eight men from other backgrounds. It is vitally important that this risk is highlighted.”