CampaignsHealthcare RationingCancer Screening & TreatmentRace is on to be screened for prostate cancer Race is on to be screened for prostate cancer
By Tony Watts - Editor - 09/08/2007
Former Olympic athlete, Nick Rose, is asking men to get on track and get themselves checked by their GPs for prostate cancer.
Nick – now in his mid 50s and still a formidable runner – is also asking for people to support the forthcoming Run for the Future, which is being held over 5km on the Downs in Bristol on Sunday, 16 September, to raise money for the Bristol Urological Institute’s Prostate Cancer Appeal, to fund vital research.
He will be among hundreds of runners taking part in a charity run next month to raise awareness of the disease, which claims the lives of 10,000 men in the UK every year.
Nick, who now lives in Bristol, competed in the 1980 Olympics, won the gold medal in the 1977 European Cup Final and still holds the UK half marathon record, says fitness alone won’t protect you from the disease.
“Prostate cancer is diagnosed in some 35,000 men every year, but if it’s caught early it can be treated. The problem is men need a nudge to get them to go to their doctor.
“I’m in the age bracket where men should realise the importance of being checked – and it’s just a simple blood test. I just hope the women in their lives give them the nudge they need!”
Run for the Future is also being supported by Noel Edmonds, whose father died from prostate cancer, and anyone interested in taking part can register online at ther weblink below or by ringing the Run for the Future office on 0117 9596328 for a Registration form.