Around 10,000 men die of prostate cancer each year in the UK. Yet, compared with many other common cancers, it does not attract a great deal of interest from policymakers—even in the past year, which has seen the launch of new treatments, and signs of further developments on the near horizon.

In view of the low profile for what is the most common male cancer in the UK, and the ongoing developments in prostate cancer research, an ExpertPanel of healthcare professionals and voluntary sector workers met to consider the services currently received by men with the condition. Our discussions highlighted many key issues for patients with prostate cancer, for their families, and for healthcare professionals and the voluntary sector.

The issues are set out in this document, along with the Expert Panel’s recommendations, in the form of Calls to Action for Prostate Cancer. We believe our Calls to Action could eventually form the core of a Bill of Rights—which we hope to see developed at a later date with the aim of ensuring that all men with prostate cancer—including “The Forgotten 10,000” who die each year from this poorly publicised condition—receive effective, well managed care.

<CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT>

Here's what the press have to say about it....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9044551/Prostate-cancers-forgotten-10000.html 

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Additionally, Mestizo will donate £1 from every Taco Tray we serve from now till the race!

INDEX aims to recruit and treat a total of 140 men with focal therapy and follow them for a period of 3 years.

INDEX Aims

Men who have localized prostate cancer can choose to have a number of treat-ments to treat the whole prostate, including radio-therapy and surgery. Active surveillance with selective delayed intervention can also be offered in many men with low-intermediate risk can-cer. Those men who have treatment to the whole prostate have greater cer-

tainty that all of the cancer is treated. However, treatment to the whole prostate can affect sexual function (poor erections), urine control (urine leakage requiring pads) and can cause back passage problems (bleeding, diarrhoea or pain).

An alternative approach that is being explored within tri-als is to treat only the can-

cer, and not the whole pros-tate - so-called ‘focal thera-py’. There are a number of treatment modalities that can be used to treat cancer in a focal manner. The one selected for this trial is HI-FU. MRI scans and template prostate mapping (TPM) biopsies will be used to lo-calise cancer and assess suc-cess after focal therapy.

For more information please see the INDEX Trial newsletter

The method being tested is PICTURE - Prostate Imaging (Multi-parametric MRI and Prostate HistoScanning™) Compared to Transperineal Ultrasound Guided Biopsy for Significant Prostate Cancer Risk Evaluation.

The number of men being diagnosed with prostate cancer is rising however the number of deaths from prostate cancer is stable. Meaning many men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer that will not impact on their life. The explanation for this rise in incidence is partly due to increased use of the PSA test (Prostate Specific Antigen blood test), as a screening method.

Currently men suspected of having prostate cancer, identified by a raised PSA, undergo trans-rectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy (TRUS biopsy). Many men have this test unnecessarily, only 1/3 being diagnosed with prostate cancer. TRUS biopsy is problematic as it is random and performed ‘blind’ with the operator not knowing where the cancer is. Thus many low-risk cancers that do not need treating are diagnosed and many high risk cancers are missed or incorrectly classified. So, men with a negative biopsy or those with low risk disease are usually advised to undergo another TRUS biopsy.

We, at the Prostate Cancer Research Centre, believe an imaging test is needed that could help men and their doctors decide whether the biopsy is a true reflection of what is inside his prostate.

Researchers will test the role of two imaging tests. The first, multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) uses magnetic signals from the body to form images. The second, Prostate HistoScanning™ (PHS) uses sound-waves.

The results of these tests will be compared with a detailed biopsy map-transperineal template prostate mapping biopsy (which is currently the best way to find out what is in the prostate but requires multiple biopsies to be taken under general anaesthetic.)

Our aim is to see if either of these tests can confidently rule out the presence of clinically important disease.

Eligible men for this clinical trial will have undergone one or more TRUS biopsies and who are seeking further investigation/re-assurance regarding their disease status. 

Below are the Inclusion/Exclusion criteria:

Inclusion Criteria:

Exclusion Criteria:

It is a trial best suited to men on Active surveillance who wish to reassure themselves that any significant disease in their prostate is not being missed, any man who is considering focal therapy for their prostate cancer which requires a high degree of confidence regarding disease status. Also men who have had repeated negative TRUS biopsies in the face of a high PSA and wish to ensure that we are not missing any disease within their prostate.

We are just awaiting final registration on www.clinicaltrials.gov and final Research and development approval and hope to be running early in 2012. We would be happy for any man who wishes to be considered to contact me to discuss eligibility. If eligible they would require their GP to refer them to UCLH for us to arrange an appointment for them.  The details for referral would be:

Professor Mark Emberton, MBBS,MD,FRCS
Study Principal Investigator
University College London Hospitals

250 Euston Road
London 
NW1 2PG

Alternative Contact:  

Trial Co-ordinator  Miss Lucy AM Simmons, MBBS, MRCS    

Telephone:   0044 203 447 9194
Email:   lucy.simmons@uclh.nhs.uk

Since his diagnosis Sam has accompanied Lee to all of his appointments and various treatments which he says has ‘exposed me to the severe effects and consequences of living with prostate cancer, so much so I pledge to make every man I know aware of the dangers of this disease, to look out for signs and to be regularly checked when over a certain age’.

The thought of being without his father affects Sam on a daily basis.  To combat this depression he decided to focus on raising money for research into an eventual cure.  Not wanting to do things by halves, he entered the ballot for next year’s Virgin London Marathon.

We were so moved by Sam’s story and impressed with his fundraising plans he shared with us that we offered him one of our golden bond places. 

Not long afterwards Adam, Sam’s best friend, contacted the charity.  He told us that Lee had always been there for him, a confidante with issues he daren’t tell his own parents, ‘larger than life, loud and funny but incredibly warm, a man who would do anything for you’.  Despite wanting to openly share the Kitcher family’s upset, as a best friend, he knew his duties were to be there for Sam and be strong for him.  Wanting to continue that support he too signed up to take on the marathon challenge alongside his best friend. 

So (of course, how could we say no) we gave Adam a golden bond place too so they will be able to support each other during their gruelling winter training programme and then take to the Greenwich start line together on the 22nd April 2012. 

There has already been one golf day with raffle held raising over £1100!

To support Sam please go to http://www.justgiving.com/Sam-kitcher

To support Adam please go to www.justgiving.com/AdamKingshott

While on holiday in Cornwall in August 1999 Matt’s maternal grandfather, Howell, became anxious about increased night time visits to the toilet and on his return went to see his GP.  On discovering an enlarged prostate his GP referred him to a consultant urologist for further tests. 

A biopsy confirming malignant prostate cancer was taken and Howell began a course of medication and received a Zolodex implant every three months.  He also underwent an operation to increase the flow of urine from the bladder.

Over the next six years Howell continued with life as normal, except for two further operations to try to increase the urine flow, his social life was unaffected and he continued to attend cricket and rugby matches as well as enjoying holidays with the family.

In early 2008 he started to experience pain in his right thigh and, on the instructions of his daughters, returned to his GP where a scan revealed cancer in his pelvic bone.  Radiotherapy treatment for this was successful and relieved the pain.  But it was the summer of 2009 that Howell's prostate problems began to seriously worsen.  His PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) level showed a sudden rise so his medication was increased but this didn’t seem to make any difference and his PSA level continued to rise.  On the advice of an oncologist he began a course of chemotherapy but, as can be the case, became quite unwell.  Feeling exhausted and lacking energy, Howell struggled to climb more than two stairs and having lost his appetite completely lost a vast amount of weight.

Drinking (and enjoying) several pints of Guinness nightly and eating (but not enjoying!) Forticreme provided on subscription for nourishment was the only way to keep his calorie intake up.  The chemo had worked though and his PSA level had dropped from 100 – 15.  By January 2010 he began to reduce his intake of Guinness and introduce a variety of foods to his diet again..

Today Howell continues to see his oncologist and recently had more radiotherapy on his pelvis.  Other than having to use a stick, and the odd painkiller, life is pretty normal.  In fact Howell told us he is very much looking forward to a ’normal’ Christmas dinner  and sharing a few bottles of ‘bubbly’ with his family!

Matt has been planning a charity gig to be held at The Retreat in Essex on Saturday 26th November.  Entry is free with donations for the charity being collected on the night. 

For more information www.myspace.com/themattwoods

To support Matt & Peter in their marathon challengeto sponsor them.

In October 2009 her father was admitted to hospital suffering from the most unbearable back pain, after a series of tests he was given the devastating diagnosis.

Claire remembers her mother breaking the news to her and feeling like her world had ended.  Now she is staying strong for her family and focusing all her energies in raising money for the research we are undertaking her at the Prostate Cancer Research Centre.

With the support of her employers, Healthcare Locums PLC, where Claire is a Payroll Supervisor, she plans on organising a dress down day EVERY Friday and putting the donated funds towards her £2000 target.  The directors have also agreed to match whatever is raised through the dress down day.

Claire has already distributed collection boxes and will be contacting local shops asking for donations to a raffle she will hold as well as pieces she can sell at car boot sales.

To support Claire go to www.justgiving.com/claire-flack

Luckily for Sarah’s father, Philip, he had keyhole surgery – the first of its kind at the hospital where he was treated– and has been clear for the past few years.  Here is Philip’s story: 

At the age of 9 years old I remember one evening being taken to see my father who was 45 years old lying in bed having great difficulty in breathing. He had undergone two major operations for cancer reducing him from 18 stone to less than 6 stone. On this particular evening my mother said to say goodbye to Dad. Next morning when I woke up he had died. The thought of Cancer has
lived with me for my entire life as I saw the misery and upset it can cause to a family. Choosing to retire early and children going off to university was all planned until I had a routine blood test
which indicated I had prostate cancer. Further tests confirmed this. Regardless of how many people said "Don’t worry it will be fine" my mind and thoughts always went back to my childhood.
 
The difficult decision was how doI tell my three daughters, doing this was really hard, but once done I felt relieved that I could talk about my problem openly. I was fortunate that I had so many options offered to me for the methods of treatment which was so confusing at first but eventually I decided to have keyhole surgery. My operation was at the North Staffordshire Hospital. I was the first patient at this hospital to have this key hole surgery operation. The surgeon could have been my son he was so young but reassured me that his boss from Birmingham was going to oversee the operation. Four days later I was discharged and spent several weeks recovering. Several years on I have my annual blood test and lead a very normal active life.
 
The research and development which has taken place since my childhood is remarkable. When Sarah, my daughter, said she was going to run the London Marathon I thought she could not walk 26 miles let alone run it! The effort and determination she is putting into her training makes me very proud especially as she is doing this to raise money in aid of PCRC. With the research and dedication given by so many people, we may one day overcome the problems of Prostate cancer. Sarah has a lot of plans to achieve her target - she has asked her hockey team to don PCRC t-shirts and give up an hour or two of their time to go out and collect money from unsuspecting members of the London public, she has written to all her friends and family asking them to sponsor her or make a donation, she is planning an event at her place of work with an own clothes day and is organising a colleague sweepstake. A car boot sale, 'Blue Day' in her vintage business she runs with her sister and local business advertising/sponsorship deals to name a few will surely make this whole process a huge success.

I will certainly be at the finishing post on April 22nd cheering everyone on and if you are asked to sponsor a runner then please, please do so as the saying goes 'Every Little Helps!'.

Sarah told us it was tough while her father was ill but he never complained once nor got angry or frustrated.  It was his bravery during this very difficult time that made Sarah determined to do something for all of those who helped her and her family and to raise money for a charity researching an eventual cure for prostate cancer.

Sarah said “Prostate cancer needs to be highlighted and needs funding so that people like my father can get the help, support and treatment they need.  Without charities like yours I wouldn’t have my father still with me today.”

To support Sarah and her marathon run please <clickhere>

Sarah and her sister also have a vintage shop in Sheffield they are planning to hold a ‘Blue Day’ at to raise more funds www.sarahsvintagewendyhouse.com

It was Christmas 2006 when my Dad became ill, so, as well as preparing for Christmas, Mum and Dad were also running back and forth to the hospital. My brothers and I were aware something was going on, as Dad had not been feeling great for a couple of months but we didn’t realise that Dad had prostate cancer. At first I was calm and we all comforted each other, giving each other hugs. We were all aware that we were going to be in for a tough time, but at that point the reality hadn’t hit me. A couple of days later, though, it hit me like a lead balloon.  All I could think was, “Oh no, my Dad has cancer”. I was not thinking of him, just myself and how it was going to affect my life and the pain I was going to go through. This was man who had always been there for me and had supported me. The man I respected and who had given me so much advice. Suddenly, I had to be the strong one, not only for him but also my mum, brothers and our friends, but all I wanted to do was hide.  

After about a week of being in denial, Dad and I chatted and, in his lovely wisdom, he said, “It’s a lot harder for you, darling, than me. I can accept the situation as it’s happening to me and I can feel it inside.” To me that was the best thing he could have said, I felt he understood what I was feeling.  

The first year was tough; hoping the various different tablets and treatments would work and prevent my Dad from having chemotherapy. My Dad was a strong man, which made it easier, but for me as a 23 year old graduate looking for a job, having a Dad suffering influenced my decision about where I wanted to work, so I took a job in London and commuted daily.  Six months in we learned that Dad needed chemotherapy. This meant every three to four weeks; he would be feeling tired and drained. It was hard going to work on those days, knowing that my Dad would be feeling rubbish when I got back.

Living with it on a daily basis was tough on Mum and I, knowing Dad was finding it difficult to sleep at night due to the pain, his appetite was slowly decreasing and he was worrying about the future of his family. I use to get angry at my brothers sometimes, as I felt they did not understand what Dad was going through. I suppose it was easier for Mum and I as we lived and faced it on a daily basis. They had more of a shock when they popped round a couple of times a week.

One of the most painful times was when I went to give my lovely Dad a cuddle and it was too painful for him. It felt like someone had taken away my favourite teddy bear and I was never going to get it back. It must have been worse for him as he knew in his heart that the one thing that could provide so much comfort he couldn’t give.

Even though unfortunately my Dad passed away, I am, in a strange way, glad of experience, as I share my story with other daughters of this world and to tell all your female friends the importance of spreading the word of getting the men in our lives tested for prostate cancer and encourage research into this dreadful disease.

To support Kirsty <clickhere>

In May Lucy took part in the BUPA London 10km race, raising £1275 for the Prostate Cancer Research Centre.

What is Prostate HistoScanning™?

Prostate HistoScanning™, is a new 3D ultrasound imaging technology that utilises the raw data usually obtained but not show, during prostate ultrasound. It aims to  distinguish the tissue characterisation signals that are normal from those that may be indicative of prostate cancer. Consequently Prostate HistoScanning gives a prediction in the form of a picture of the presence or absence and location of prostate cancer within the prostate.

Why do we need Prostate HistoScanning™?

Prostate cancer is a major health issue facing the men in our lives. It is the most common cancer in the UK accounting for nearly a quarter of all new male cancers. Yet it remains one of the only solid organ cancers where there is no established imaging test widely available to aid diagnosis.

In the UK the standard practice for investigating prostate cancer includes a digital rectal examination (DRE) of the prostate by your doctor to feel for any abnormal lumps on the prostate and a blood test called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) which, if raised, may help the doctor work out if a man is at risk for prostate cancer. When one or both of these tests are suspicious for prostate cancer, men are normally referred to a urology doctor for biopsies of the prostate and diagnosis.

Biopsies of the prostate are taken using an ultrasound probe that is placed in the back passage and used to guide needles into the prostate. In most places around the UK this procedure is still performed in an untargeted manner  i.e. the doctor will take a number of biopsies from predetermined areas in the prostate- usually 8 to 12 samples depending the size of the prostate. The biopsy process is an unavoidably invasive test with most men experiencing bleeding after the procedure either in the waterworks or from the back passage. Also, due to the needles passing through the back passage into the prostate, the biopsy test carries a 4% risk of infection. Because of the untargeted technique used, some significant cancers can be missed by chance, or because they are in an area not commonly sampled. Also, as many men develop small harmless prostate cancers as they age, these can be detected on biopsy.  Uncertainty over whether this might be part of a larger cancer means that some men will have these cancers treated unnecessarily. 

 In other cancers, such as breast cancer, it is common to perform a targeted biopsy, where women with a normal imaging test (mammogram) do not have a biopsy, and those with an abnormal imaging test have only that abnormal area sampled with a biopsy. 

Many doctors think that there is a need for a widely available imaging technique, such as Prostate HistoScanning™, to have a similar role in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

 What does a Prostate HistoScanning™ test involve?

A Prostate HistoScanning™ test is very similar to a standard transrectal ultrasound of the prostate. Men are asked to empty their bladder and bowel prior to the procedure. They are requested to lie on their left hand side and an ultrasound probe is inserted into the back passage. With the aid of a hand held motor, the probe is rotated slowly through 180 degrees to capture a full set of 3 dimensional data of the prostate gland.

This data is then analysed by the Prostate HistoScanning™ software. When areas suspected to be cancer are detected, these are mapped as red areas on the ultrasound image, with the prostate boundary outlined in yellow, as seen in this picture which shows a transverse slice through the prostate. 

How good is HistoScanning™ at detecting prostate cancer?

There are now more than 30 Prostate HistoScanning™ centres across Europe and the clinical evidence in support of the technology is increasing.  The latest results indicate that Prostate HistoScanning™ shows potential to accurately detect and localise cancerous lesions within the prostate.

However this technique still requires further verification and clinical trials are currently underway to investigate the potential role of Prostate HistoScanning™ for prostate cancer detection. Many imaging tests are undergoing evaluation for their usefulness in prostate cancer diagnosis- Prostate HistoScanning™ is just one of the possible modalities.

Should anyone be interested in this new technique or other clinical trials for the diagnosis of Prostate Cancer please ask your doctor to refer you to -

Professor Mark Emberton

Department of Urology

University College London Hospitals Trust

250 Euston Road

NW1 2PG.

John was diagnosed with non aggressive prostate cancer about three years ago. After a couple of years of active surveillance, he decided to have a radical prostatectomy which took place in June 2010. The trigger to this decision was PSA test readings; which had started to go up at an alarming rate. And is also the reason he has chosen to support our research.   

John told us “The operation seems to have removed all the cancer, which is obviously great, but as I understand it, the rising PSA readings could have been more to do with the (significantly enlarged) prostate itself than the cancer. With a more accurate screening test and generally a better understanding of the progression of the disease, I may have been able to continue for many, many years without surgical intervention (or other forms of treatment) - thus avoiding the unwelcome side effects.  The reason why I want to raise money for the PCRC is that more research is needed if prostate cancer is to be consistently and accurately screened, diagnosed and treated. 

For example, at the moment, the PSA screening test used only gives a (not very precise) indication that there might be a problem. The existence of cancer can only be verified (or otherwise, hopefully) through a biopsy.  A more accurate method of screening is therefore needed so that it can be determined whether or not there is any cancer without the need for the uncomfortable and invasive removal of cells from the prostate. 

Not enough is known about the progression of the disease.  Many men live with the cancer for years without necessarily knowing they have it and without any adverse effect on their lives.  Where 'low level' cancer has been diagnosed, the research information is not yet good enough to predict whether surgery or radiotherapy is actually required.  These treatments have some unwelcome side effects and it may well be the case that many men could safely continue to live their lives for many years with regular check ups but without any treatment”

Not only has John raised a massive £2581.25 (the most we have received yet through a sky dive) but he is now nursing an injury after breaking his ankle on landing.  John is now currently laid up at home in plaster catching up on DVD’s he hasn’t got round to watching! 

On behalf of all those working within our team, a huge thank you!

If you'd like to add to John's total his fundraising page is still open for donations: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnHaffenden

The process of regeneration, life and death of cells within each human organ, is as natural as the grass is green (unless you live in Kentucky, where the Poa Pratensis variety of grass appears blue!). In addition to fighting external threats, our bodies are also adept at repairing and maintaining existing organs. How this is done is a fascinating story that we have just started to understand at its most basic level. Now this phenomenon is not as fascinating when you consider that we are all results of combining of two cells- an egg and a sperm  (that makes these two, very,  very powerful cells)-  but fascinating nonetheless.

It turns out that, within every organ in the adult human body some cells retain similar (but thankfully much diminished) capacity or potential as the fertilized egg, i.e. a capability to turn into a multitude of different varieties of cells that make up an organ. The cells whose job it is to renew the organ and replace the cells through normal wear and tear are called stem cells. We have known about these cells for just over a century. The term is attributed to a Russian scientist named Aleksander Maksimov and was inspired, allegedly, by the stem of a tree that appears as a source giving rise to different branches, just as some cells within an organ giving rise to all other types of cells that make up that organ.

We now know that the stem cells are involved in normal repair and regeneration of organs such as prostate and when things go awry they are capable of causing diseases such as prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It follows that if we can identify stem cells in the prostate and are able to target them for destruction, we may be able to treat diseases of the prostate.  Cell based therapies, such as those thought up for stem cells, hold a tremendous promise for not just treating but curing diseases.  With better understanding and more research these will sound less like miracles and more like truisms.

Even the most meticulous training programme cannot dodge fate – as I found out preparing for my first 10K run ...

Despite encouragement from other runners I know, I always resisted running outside – but was forced into it last year when the air-conditioning at my gym malfunctioned for months on end. I slowly built up the distance I ran, diligently researching warm-up and stretching techniques, compiling playlists of songs to run to ... in short, I became hooked. So when the Bupa London 10K was recommended, I decided to go for it – and being able to run for a charity fighting the disease that took my dad made it a must.

Training went pretty well: I reached the 10K mark comfortably and the dry spring made for great running weather. Friends and family were quick to sponsor me, which helped build my confidence. I had just one final pre-race training session and was feeling pretty confident – then we were burgled. Rushing to try and at least get a look at the intruder, if not stop him, I crashed to the ground, landing a heavily bleeding cut to my head above the right eye, numerous cuts and grazes and twisting and badly bruising my right leg. So, five days before the race, I was being ferried to A&E in an ambulance.

My hospital stay was mercifully short but, limping home, I could not imagine being in a fit state to participate. Not only had the burglar taken my wedding ring, he’d quite possibly robbed me of the chance to run. I was gutted, feeling I’d let down my sponsors and my dad if I didn’t make it, but aware that running with injuries would be plain stupid. However, thanks to my osteopath and the body’s natural restorative powers, it seemed possible the day before that it might not be out of the race after all. Following some sage advice from my partner, I decided to go for it.

I’m so glad I did. Although part of me wondered if I’d stay the course at first, I fell back into the rhythm of running pretty easily. The atmosphere was uplifting, my fellow runners inspiring, and I was both relieved and exhilarated when I crossed the finishing line. Not only had I raised over £1,000 for PCRC, I’d achieved something I thought was impossible only days before. So the burglar didn’t get away with everything ...

You can still sponsor Angus at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AngusTowler

Thanks Angus!! 

Although Neil found the 18-day trek a lot tougher than he expected, he still views it as an experience of a lifetime. Well over half of the 168km he walked were  4500m above sea level, including the four major peaks featured in his route – Gokyo Ri (5355m), Chola Pass (5380m), Everest Base Camp (5365m) and Kala Patar (5545m).  Making this dramatic journey also meant overcoming fatigue, ‘Nepalese belly', muscle cramps and sunburn, as well as the harsh and unrelenting weather and terrain. ‘I must emphasise not all the points above were on my risk assessment,’ says Neil, ‘particularly the Yak dung burners!’ 

He has nothing but praise for Nepal and everyone he met there: ‘It’s a wonderful, safe country with outstanding natural beauty, and great, great people who have fantastic human spirit despite abject poverty, poor education and reliance on the mountain tourism industry.’

Neil is hugely grateful to everyone who sponsored him on his dramatic adventure: ‘I have been genuinely blown away by the level of support and messages of support.  If you still wish to donate, my site will be open for a couple more months yet.’

http://www.justgiving.com/Neil-Emmett

Research scientists here at the Prostate Cancer Research Centre are working towards identifying the changes that make prostate cancer cells grow and spread to other parts of the body.   Our aim is to improve management, develop new treatment and increase the survival of men with prostate cancer but we need your help.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or have been running for years there is an organised race happening somewhere that’s ideal for you and where you can raise much needed funds whilst completing your challenge. 

Peter van den Berg took on a very unusual challenge for us last month... 

We were very pleased when we received the call from Peter letting us know he intended on running his first official marathon in support of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre but we were amazed to find out the marathon would be taking place in the North Pole!

Although this is a mammoth challenge by anyone’s standards Peter is an experience runner and, along with his wife who also tackled extreme weather conditions to complete the 26.2 miles, was confident of his success. 

When asked why he has chosen to support our charity Peter said ‘while there is a lot being done to raise awareness for prostate cancer and money being raised for palliative care of sufferers, I think research is a massively overlooked but extremely important area’. 

Statistics show if you live long enough you’ll get prostate cancer.  At 50 years old a man has a 50% chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, at 60 years old it’s a 60 % chance, at 70 its 70% and so on.  So if you live long enough you WILL get prostate cancer; hence why our research is so important.

Peter’s father is in his 80’s and has prostate cancer and he feels it is a ‘terrible, inconvenient and embarrassing’ affliction to have to deal with in the final decade of his life.  

So thank you Peter for taking on this huge challenge and raising £2k for our vital research.

Vanessa Ball and Jo Wilkinson have both signed up to join our Bupa 10’000 team this May.  Vanessa only found out very recently her granddad died of prostate cancer.  She told us that her family had not felt comfortable at the time discussing his health openly, as it was, and still is to certain extent, a ‘taboo’ disease.  Spreading awareness is another area we are trying to tackle.  Prostate cancer is curable if caught early but very difficult if the disease is allowed to grow and spread.

To support the girls http://www.justgiving.com/Jo-and-V

From 5/10k runs to North Pole marathons we are extremely grateful for every challenge taken up in support of our charity.

For information on how to sign up to a run in support of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre please go to www.prostate-cancer-research.org.uk/running

Louise and Ed were married in June 2009 but cancelled their original honeymoon trip to Corsica as her father was seriously ill in hospital with prostate cancer.  The cancer had spread quickly and he had not responded well to chemotherapy so with the wedding fast approaching, and accepting he would not be able to make  the ceremony, they made arrangements for a link via a webcam so he wouldn’t miss a thing.  Louise wanted to share the big day with her father as much as possible so after their meal she, still in her wedding dress and attracting much attention, and her new husband went straight to the hospital.

Unfortunately he didn’t improve any further and passed away a month after the wedding.  Louise told us that her father, not always an easy man to please, felt he was in the best possible hands at the UCH because of all the research carried out there.  It’s because of this reason that Louise and Ed have chosen to raise money in support of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre taking part in this adventure!

A bit about The Mongol Rally from the organisers:

“The Mongol Rally isn't about comfort and it doesn't have a great deal to do with style; what we seek is adventure. The whole point is that it's difficult. So the one litre rule was born. To tackle the worst roads the world can throw at you you need to turn up to the startline in a Granny mobile with an engine size of under 1 litre (ish). There is nothing like staring down the bonnet of a Nissan Micra at hundreds of miles of dirt track and foot high rocks. Or driving for 15 hours and only getting 20km then finding out it was in the wrong direction. 

The Mongol Rally is supposed to be an adventure not a guided tour. It's about getting out into the world and discovering it for yourself, so we resolutely refuse to give you a route. 

So far the Mongol Rally alone has raised over £1.5 million pounds for charity. No mean feat we like to think.

As a team on the Mongol Rally we ask you to raise a £1000 for charity at least £500 of which goes to the official Rally charity. Money which makes a massive difference to the lives of some of the poorest people in Mongolia.”

All in all this should take Louise & Ed four weeks!  From everyone here – thanks and good luck!

If you’re interested in taking up this challenge in support of The PCRC contact the events team for more information.

Not only has she been focused physically but she has also decided to focus her efforts on fundraising for the Prostate Cancer Research Centre while completing this huge challenge.

Her support for our charity stems from her father’s experience with the disease. 

In 2009 her father, an extremely active man with no other health problems, started experiencing bowel related symptoms, such as repeated visits to the toilet during the night.  He went to the doctors who, given his apparent good heath, were not concerned and it was only at his insistence during routine tests for over 60’s that they discovered his raised PSA levels.

Things moved fairly quickly after that.  Biopsies were taken and followed up by additional samples and tests after which it was decided that he should have a prostatectomy with the intention of follow up radiotherapy if the results weren’t satisfactory but thankfully his PSA levels have remained low and he is now getting back to normal life.

Lexi told us “His recovery was hard on him as such an active man and at times he was embarrassed about some of the after affects of the disease but he has coped remarkably well and I am happy to say that he is now flying around on his motorbike, bicycle and in general being the happy-go-lucky Dad that I knew from before”

The research we are carrying out at the Prostate Cancer Research Centre is working towards a future without prostate cancer and we couldn’t do it without the help of people like Lexi, so thank you and good luck!

To support Lexi go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LexiCouchman

Baroness Royall, Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords,  was one of the inspirational women who took part in the launch of our ‘My Man Ladies Lunch’ campaign on Friday 18 March 2011 with its clear objective of empowering the great ladies behind the men who are, all too often, reluctant to discuss their own health.

Guests arrived at the historic Goldsmiths Hall shortly after midday and made their way up the grand stair case, passing the string quartet before being greeted by a gorgeous Butler and handed a glass of champagne.  When asked to take their seats for lunch guests were lead through to the beautiful Drawing Room, where none other than Prince Charles himself had dined the week before, and served a stunning three course lunch.

Dr Heather Payne kicked off the discussion, once coffee’s were served, reminding guests why they there and introducing the panel made up of Baroness Royall, one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs; Lara Morgan and the PCRC’s former Director of Fundraising Jane Arnell, who hosted the panel.

Baroness Royall, who lost her husband to prostate cancer only nine months ago, was the first to share her experience and highlight the importance of awareness and testing.  Having lost her father in law to prostate cancer Lara gave an emotional but encouraging message to guests of making a difference where ever you can.  Finally, Max Clifford, who from personal experience, spoke of living, treating and beating the disease and also the importance of putting back into the community and why he thinks this is such an important campaign.

For a more in-depth look at launch and important issues raised during the discussion please visit our website in early May.  The SAE Institute kindly filmed the whole event, including the discussion and one to one interviews with the panelists, for free! Their students will be editing all the footage ready to upload as soon as they have finished their upcoming exams.

All in all the day was a great success enjoyed by all and not only raised over £4000.00 for the charity but also saw our the first of our Ambassadors sign up to the campaign; including Baroness Royall who will be organising her own lunch at The House of Lords!

To request an Ambassador Fundraising Guide  with everything you need to put together your own My Man Ladies Lunch contact Georgina on 0207 679 9595 / gwilson@prostate-cancer-research.org.uk. 

To download the guide and other handy materials please go to www.prostate-cancer-research.org.uk/my-man-campaign

Although this is a mammoth challenge by anyone’s standards but Peter is an experience runner and, along with his wife who will be also tackling extreme weather conditions to complete the 26.2 miles, is confident of his success. 

When asked why he has chosen to support our charity Peter said ‘while there is a lot being done to raise awareness for prostate cancer and money being raised for palliative care of sufferers, I think research is a massively overlooked but extremely important area’. 

Statistics show if you live long enough you’ll get prostate cancer.  At 50 years old a man has a 50% chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, at 60 years old it’s a 60 % chance, at 70 its 70% and so on.  So if you live long enough you WILL get prostate cancer; hence why our research is so important.

Peter's father is in his 80's and is recovering well from prostate surgery and feels it is a ‘terrible, inconvenient and embarrassing’ affliction to have to deal with in the final decade of his life.  

So thank you Peter, every penny you raise will help fund our research; identifying the changes that make prostate cancer cells grow and spread to other parts of the body, aiming to improve management, develop new treatment and increase the survival of men with prostate cancer.

If you’d like to show your support for Peter please make a donation click here.

For more information on the North Pole Marathon <click here>