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Prostate Cancer |
Written by : The Prostate Cancer Charity
Location : United Kingdom
Posted : Oct 28, 2009 : 12:47:19 PM |
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“I couldn’t tell anyone, or confide in anyone. They would have laughed at me. And anyway, I was too ashamed. No, the truth is that I was scared.”
Hearing this man’s thoughts, you might assume he had done something awful. However, he is actually talking about prostate cancer and his embarrassment in visiting the doctors. The anonymous extract is from The Prostate Cancer Charity’s book of true life stories, Listen Up, which highlights the fears about prostate cancer in the African Caribbean community.
Suresh Rambaran, a Specialist Support and Information Nurse for The Prostate Cancer Charity, hears similar anecdotes from African Caribbean men every day. Suresh works specifically with communities across the UK to raise awareness of the fact that African Caribbean men are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men.
Suresh says: “I know from my experiences of working directly in this community, that African-Caribbean men sometimes have a hard time accepting they could have the disease. Our outreach work is trying to overcome the myths and taboos that the community associate with prostate cancer. We are not only fighting against African Caribbean men’s higher likelihood of developing the disease but also the community’s reluctance to visit their doctor when they suspect a problem.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Signs of a problem with the prostate can include needing to urinate more often, especially at night, and needing to rush to the toilet. Other signs are having difficulty starting to pass urine, a weak flow and a feeling that your bladder has not emptied properly. Some of these symptoms are seen as embarrassing and this is why African Caribbean men are reluctant to visit their doctor. However, the earlier prostate cancer is detected, the less likely it is to have spread to the bones.
If you have any queries about prostate cancer, don’t keep it to yourself - like the man in Listen Up. Instead, call The Prostate Cancer Charity’s confidential helpline 0800 074 8383, which is staffed by specialist nurses and open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday and Wednesdays from 7 - 9pm. Or visit The Prostate Cancer Charity’s website at www.prostate-cancer.org.uk
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