Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is organised by the charity Prostate Cancer UK. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of prostate cancer, whilst also encouraging people to raise money for the charity which will then be put towards supporting sufferers and their families.

During March, fund raising events take place across the country. A raffle is being organised by Prostate Cancer UK in which you can win up to £3,000, plus, this year, Jeff Stelling will be walking ten marathons in ten days from Victoria Park, the home of Hartlepool United, to Wembley Stadium from 21-30 March to raise money for the charity.

Also, throughout the month, volunteers from Prostate Cancer UK (all of which have been affected by prostate cancer in one way or another) will be providing information and giving group talks to communities.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men and statistics suggest that 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives. When caught early, the disease is often curable. In fact, 99% of men with the most common types of prostate cancer will survive more than five years after diagnosis (not including those that die of other causes). By raising awareness of the disease, it is hoped that more people will get diagnosed earlier, which then leads to a better chance of survival.

There are a number of different treatment options for prostate cancer and the decision on which to choose depends on each individual situation with factors including the type and stage of the cancer. Options are surgery, radiotherapy (including brachytherapy), watchful waiting and hormone therapy. Talking further with an oncologist (cancer expert), urologist (expert on the urinary system) or specialist nurse will help make a decision about which treatment is right for a patient.

At BXTAccelyon we provide LDR brachytherapy treatment to hospitals and clinics across the UK, New Zealand and Australia. LDR brachytherapy is a targeted form of internal radiotherapy and an effective, minimally invasive treatment for prostate cancer with significant quality of life benefits over alternative treatments such as surgery and external radiotherapy. The procedure takes less than an hour and patients can often be home the same day. One might choose brachytherapy treatment if diagnosed with localised prostate cancer.

If you think brachytherapy might be the right treatment for you or someone you know, please get in touch with your local GP to find out the location of your nearest specialist and brachytherapy unit. They will then assist in helping you or your loved ones to find out whether brachytherapy is in fact an option in your specific circumstances, and, assist you in accessing the treatment you need.

More information:

• Find a brachytherapy treatment centre near you
• Get more information on LDR brachytherapy
• Information for carers of people with prostate cancer
• View our web page dedicated to providing information on local and national support centres and associations for those affected by prostate cancer.