Blue September is back – across Aotearoa New Zealand people will be helping to tackle prostate cancer by pushing up, riding out, getting together or doing something uniquely them. All in a bid to raise over $1 million of much needed funds to support the 42,000 men, and their whānau, living with the disease.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ is a small but mighty team doing amazing things thanks in large part to the funds raised by Blue September. The Foundation provides a nurse-led information service, over 48 peer support groups, free counselling, financial support, Prost-FIT exercise programme, education, research and advocacy – all aimed at improving health outcomes for Kiwi men and their families.
Every year over 4,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer – that’s around 11 a day, making it the most diagnosed cancer in NZ.
This year more than 700 men will die from prostate cancer, making it the second highest (behind lung) cause of cancer death in men and the third highest (behind lung and bowel) for all sexes.
Prostate cancer is a family issue – if a person has two or more first-degree relatives who were diagnosed with prostate cancer or breast cancer, then their risk increases by 5–11 times.
Following diagnosis, Māori men are 50 per cent more likely to die of prostate cancer than non-Māori men.
A pilot prostate cancer screening programme that could save 100s of lives every year has been costed ($6 million over 4 years) and presented to parliament – to date it has not received any allocated funding support.
Prostate cancer can be a silent ambush, often with no symptoms in the early stages.
#ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #loveponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #coxsbay @followers #followers @everyone #everyone #waitematalocalboard @highlight
