Go blue to help a mate through A

cross New Zealand this year, 4000 men will be told they have prostate cancer, making it this country’s most diagnosed cancer, and the second leading cause of cancerrelated death in men.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand (PCFNZ) is committed to being the voice of more than 42,000 men living with the disease in New Zealand, advocating on their behalf for better health outcomes today, and for future generations.

Now in its 10th year, Blue September is PCFNZ’s biggest fundraising event of the year and a month dedicated to raising awareness of prostate cancer.

It’s hoped that BLUE DOs up and down the country will raise more than $1 million of much-needed funds, with every cent going towards providing essential wraparound support services for men and their whānau living with prostate cancer.

The foundation’s chief executive, Peter Dickens, said they’re excited to see the nation once again painted blue in support of the thousands of men living with the disease in NZ.

“Every year just gets better; we are blown away by the support we receive from across New Zealand during Blue September.

“Without the passion and commitment shown to us by our Blue September community, we would not be able to provide the services that patients and those close to them rely on every day across the country.”

In addition to supporting the essential services the charity provides to those affected, funds raised are used for research into the disease and its impact, and to create awareness through education and outreach programmes.

They also enable the foundation to advocate for better access to diagnosis and treatments that are so desperately needed, including calling for a nationwide screening programme similar to the breast, bowel and cervical cancer programmes.

There is a dangerous myth that men don’t die from prostate cancer, they die with it, and that it’s an old man’s disease. That’s just not true. It’s devastating that in NZ we lose around 700 every year to this terrible disease.

PCFNZ wants men to start talking about their health and taking positive action because if it’s caught early, it is also very treatable and so many more options are available to them, Dickens said.

“It’s extremely frustrating and New Zealand’s most diagnosed cancer should be an issue of national concern.

“Despite the evidence pointing to early detection and appropriate treatment making the difference between life and death, methods of detecting the disease, treatments and medicines for prostate cancer patients that are publicly funded in other countries are severely limited here, or even non-existent outside of the main centres.”

Whether it’s a chat around the BBQ or having a yarn while walking the dogs, Dickens said, a major goal of Blue September this year is to get men to talk about prostate cancer.

“We have come a long way, but the truth is all men over 50 need to chat to their doctor about prostate cancer as well as insist on a programme of PSA testing appropriate to them.

“This is even more important if they have a family history of prostate cancer, in which case they need to do it much earlier.” n

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To find out more, or to register your BLUE DO, visit www.blueseptember.org.nz