Community event raises awareness of prostate cancers silent symptoms
A Leicester health campaigner has called for men to get checked out for prostate cancer because of its “silent symptoms” – after a high-profile journalist was diagnosed with the condition.
Former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull revealed last week that he has incurable prostate cancer and says he should have taken action sooner.
The free Play Domino, Talk Prostate event took place at Moat Community College on 10 March, aimed at raising awareness of prostate cancer among African Caribbean men and supporting those diagnosed with the condition. One of the organisers was Pamela Campbell-Morris, who is a Project Assistant and Community Champion at the Centre for BME Health, partly funded by the University of Leicester.
She said: “We know that Afro-Caribbean men engage very well through dominoes, it’s a cultural thing. People talk about those hard-to-reach groups, I know with Afro-Caribbean men, one way of engaging is through dominoes.”
Those at greatest risk are 45 and over and, or, with a father or brother who have had it. Pamela said: “Most men with early prostate cancer have no symptoms at all, the symptoms can be silent. Don’t wait for symptoms, please, please go and have yourself checked.”
The information session was organised by the Centre for BME Health, Prostaid and Prostate Cancer UK. It is supported by the National Institute for Health Research’s Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East Midlands.