Every 22 minutes, somewhere in Australia, a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer – now the most prevalent cancer in the ACT. More than 3,300 men alive in Canberra today have been diagnosed with the disease.
This Men’s Health Week (June 12-18), the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) has teamed up with ACT Health to promote PCFA’s MatesCONNECT service, to improve outcomes for newly diagnosed men.
The program is managed by PCFA, and delivered by volunteers who have had prostate cancer, and are at least 12 months on from their initial diagnosis and treatment.
Men can access the service or volunteer by calling 1800 22 00 99.
Anne Savage, PCFA’s CEO, urged men to access the life-changing service.
“MatesCONNECT links newly diagnosed men with survivors, who help new patients understand their treatment options and any side-effects,” she said.
“The program is made possible through funding by the ACT Government, and is available for men across the state to access at any point during their treatment.”
The ACT Government supports MatesCONNECT under the ACT Health Promotion Grants Program.
Rachel Stephen-Smith, ACT Minister for Health, said the MatesCONNECT peer support model helps reduce the mental health risks – such as depression and anxiety – that are more common among men with prostate cancer.
Ms Savage also urged the community to support men and families who have been affected by taking part in the Perfect Match campaign, which raises funds for research. The PFCA will match every dollar the public raises, doubling the amount raised.
“We’d welcome community action and engagement to support men during Men’s Health Week,” Ms Savage said.
“The number of men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the ACT is increasing, which is why the MatesCONNECT program and Perfect Match campaign are so important,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
According to ACT Health data, 2,041 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the ACT in 2019; more men (53.3 per cent) than women were diagnosed (46.7 per cent); and around one-third of these (362 cases) were prostate cancer.
“Prostate cancer is a major health burden for men in the ACT,” Ms Savage said.
“The good news is that thanks to advances in early detection and treatment, more men are surviving the disease.
“Ageing is one of the greatest risk factors for prostate cancer, so men over the age of 50, or those with a family history of prostate cancer, should talk to their doctor about prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer as part of their regular health check-ups.”
