Newham health bosses urge awarenes of prostate cancer

Health bosses want Black African-Caribbean men to be aware of the symptoms of prostate cancer as they are at greater risk of developing it.

The initiative is part of a wider nationwide project called Hear Me Now, launched earlier this year. The campaign looks at addressing health inequalities within BAME (Black, Asian, minority and ethic) communities.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK and the second most common cancer death among men after lung cancer. Prostate cancer in Black African-Caribbean men is an area of big concern for healthcare professionals. They are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men, more likely to present symptoms at an earlier age and 30 per cent more likely to die from it.

Despite these statistics awareness of the issue is lower among black men.

This make raising awareness in this Black African-Caribbean community and encouraging men to get tested vitally important.

The symptoms of prostate cancer include:

· needing to urinate more frequently (often during the night)

· needing to rush to the toilet

· difficulty starting to urinate (hesitancy)

· straining or taking a long time while urinating

· a weak flow of urine

· the feeling that your bladder hasn’t fully emptied

Dr Zuhair, Chair of NHS Newham Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “In Newham we have been working to improve awareness of prostate cancer and encouraging men to get checked and report symptoms.

“Campaigns like this are vital to reduce cancer deaths. We are committed to improving awareness of prostate cancer and improving diagnosis and survival rates. It is important that we make the symptoms better known in the African-Caribbean community. I would encourage all men to make yourself aware of the signs and symptoms and if something isn’t right talk to your GP and get yourself checked.”