If prostate cancer is caught early it can be easy to cure, with less invasive treatments available to patients causing fewer side effects such as impotence and incontinence. However prostate cancer symptoms can be hard to spot – in fact early stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms at all which means many men are diagnosed when the disease is more advanced.

Raising awareness of prostate cancer, its symptoms, screening options and available treatments, including LDR brachytherapy, is vital in helping to improve survival rates for the disease which currently kills 10 000 men in the UK each year. By 2030 it will be the most common male cancer in the UK. *

Recently high profile celebrities including actor Ben Stiller have helped raise awareness of the disease, talking openly about their prostate cancer diagnosis.

As well as high profile patient stories, there are also charity campaigns to help raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer. Movember has become a regular date in the diary for men across the world to raise awareness of men’s health issues, particularly prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Each November men are encouraged to ‘grow a mo’, championing the moustache for 30 days and raising funds for men’s health. Other Movember initiatives include the Move Challenge, getting physically active in November, for those less keen or unable to cultivate a moustache. The BXTAccelyon Team will be getting involved with lots of Movember activities from ‘Grow a Mo’ to participating in the half Ironman Triathlon. Visit our Facebook page for regular updates.

Prostate Cancer UK has launched its Men Utd campaign, aiming to stop prostate cancer being a killer – through finding better ways to diagnose and treat prostate cancer, as well as ways to prevent it, and better support for the 330,000 UK men living with the disease. You can join the fight against prostate cancer by holding events to raise money for the charity.

Find out more about prostate cancer or find other sources of information on prostate cancer symptoms and treatment.

* Prostate Cancer UK