Prostate Cancer Symposium
South West Prostate Cancer Research Symposium at UWE
Saturday 28 March 2009 0930 – 1330
Everything you want to know about prostate cancer will be explained at a special event at the University of the West of England in Bristol next month.
If you are about to have a PSA test, or have recently been diagnosed with the disease, then the Prostate Cancer in the South West symposium will provide you with all the information and reassurance you need.
The event, which takes place on Saturday, 28 March from 9.30am to 1.30pm, not only aims to inform and update patients, but also provide carers, health professionals and researchers with clarification about new and existing methods for the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer in the South West is a collaboration between researchers at UWE and the Bristol Urological Unit, North Bristol NHS Trust and Bristol Rotary.
The symposium is the key event in the region to be held during the first ever Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and will follow the launch of this year’s Run for the Future on Thursday 19 March.
Talks from leading experts will explore issues such as screening, research, treatment, support and care. Presenters include Mr David Gillatt (Consultant Surgeon and Medical Director of Bristol Urological Institute, Southmead Hospital - pictured), Dr Jon Oxley (Consultant Pathologist, Southmead Hospital), Professor Norman Ratcliffe and Dr Anthony Rhodes (Centre for Research in Biomedicine, UWE), Georgia Diebel (The Prostate Cancer Charity, London) and Neal Southwick (Macmillan Cancer Support).
Dr Anthony Rhodes from UWE explains, “Despite the fact that around 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year with around a third of these dying from the disease there is not enough noise made to ensure that men are adequately informed about the symptoms and the importance of screening.
“To put this into context 44,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year with over 12,000 deaths annually making prostate cancer the second most prevalent form of the disease,” he said.
“There is important work happening in Bristol in awareness raising campaigns and research. The Symposium aims to clarify the many aspects surrounding diagnosis and treatment and to highlight the facilities and support available to people with prostate cancer. We also want to tell people about local research currently under way to help improve the lives of men who are diagnosed.”
UWE has been working closely with the BUI and Bristol Rotary over the past few years on a dual mission to both raise funds to increase awareness and to conduct research into better testing methods.
Dr. Rhodes said: “For example, sponsorship money from the Run for the Future event organised by Bristol Rotary has been invested in two research projects based at UWE and the BUI to look at better and more accurate diagnostic tests. We want to share what we are doing with the general public to engage more people.”
David Gillatt commented, “Prostate cancer affects almost as many men as breast cancer affects women. And yet prostate cancer is not highlighted to anything like the same degree.
“We hope to go some way towards redressing the balance so that more work is done to help save lives through better awareness and more funding for focused research leading ultimately, we hope, to a national screening programme.”
Steve West, UWE Vice Chancellor, said, “This event presents a much needed opportunity for those seeking support and information to glean more. The partnership between UWE, BUI and Rotary is exemplary in the way it is striving to redress the balance in prostate cancer health promotion and in the cutting edge research that will contribute greatly toward fighting this killer disease.”
Tickets for the Symposium are £5.00 (inclusive of tea, coffee and refreshments) and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
For more information and to download a registration form, go to http://science.uwe.ac.uk/knowledgetransferandcpd/CPDcurrentevents.asp
To take part in the Run for the Future go to http://www.runforthefuture.org/
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