Stand Up For Your Prostate
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) diagnosed in men across Ireland, with over 3,665 men told they have the condition each year. The good news is that when detected early, the disease is very treatable and has excellent survival rates.
The Marie Keating Foundation’s Stand Up For Your Prostate campaign ask men to ‘step up to the mic’ and speak openly and honestly about their health, and speak to their GP about PSA testing when they reach 50, or 45 if they have a family history of prostate cancer.
This year’s campaign is fronted by five of Ireland’s most talented comedians, including Des Bishop, PJ Gallagher, Danny O’Brien, Al Foran and Gearoid Farrelly, and each of these comedians are asking you to Watch, Talk and Act for your prostate. But what does this mean?
Well, they are asking you to:
Watch: Get to know the signs and symptoms associated with prostate problems such as more frequent urination, especially at night, discomfort when urinating or blood in the urine or semen. It may or may not be prostate cancer but there is only one way to find out! If you notice any of these changes, you can consult your GP or a medical professional without delay.
Talk: Remove the stigma surrounding prostate cancer and encourage the men in your life to speak up about their health. Prostate cancer can commonly be asymptomatic, meaning there may be no obvious symptoms that something isn’t right, so open and honest communication is essential for early diagnosis.
Act: Once you turn 50, or 45 with a family history of prostate cancer, speak to your GP about PSA testing. PSA testing is a simple blood test that monitors the prostate-specific antigens in your blood, and lets you know if there are any changes in your prostate. It’s a simple blood test, but it could save your life.
For More Information
For more information on the Stand Up For Your Prostate campaign, and to show your support for those at every step of their prostate cancer journey by wearing your own Little Blue Man pin this Blue September, visit www.mariekeating.ie/standupforyourprostate2020
