It is a men’s disease that many are too proud to talk about — but five local business owners and a schoolboy rugby team will pull up their socks for Prostate Cancer at a specially badged charity rugby match next month.
When The Armidale School’s First XV take to the field in their annual pre-season trial match against Sydney Boys’ High School on June 2, they will be wearing green socks and royal blue shorts to boost awareness of a disease that claims around 3300 Australian men every year.
“That’s equal to the same number of women who die each year from breast cancer, but there’s not a lot of talk or financial support to help fund research into prostate cancer. It’s often thought to be an old man’s disease, but men can be diagnosed with it in their forties,” said TAS prefect James Mohun, who came up with the idea.
“It’s become a bit of a tradition at the Sydney High day to raise funds for a worthy cause and, being a boys’ school, we thought it was a great opportunity to get the message out about prostate cancer and raise a bit of money as well.”
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men and is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men. However, a foundation survey conducted in 2002 found that only half of all men felt informed about prostate cancer, while 78 per cent of women felt informed about breast cancer.
The initiative has drawn financial support from five Armidale businesses — Commander Centre, InvestBlue, McDonalds, National Buildplan and Struddy’s Sport – which are also urging supporters to tip some cash into buckets that will be passed around on game day.
“Cancer is an insidious disease and, as members of the community, it is important to get our businesses behind such initiatives,” Steve Sewell from InvestBlue said.
McDonald’s owner Troy Johnson said men were often reluctant to undergo testing for prostate and bowel cancer, but this had to change.
“There’s still a stigma to it and often it takes the wives or partners to make an appointment before we blokes will do something about it,” he said. “Hopefully one day testing may involve just a finger prick blood test. More funding can only help find better ways to diagnose, treat and one day prevent the disease.”
