Carol Calls for Girl Power
FAMILY VALUES!
Celebrity Carol Vorderman is appealing to women in the West to unite to look after the men in their lives.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s Run for the Future at the Marriott Royal Hotel in Bristol today, Carol said it was an opportunity for families to rally round and help raise awareness of a disease which claims the lives of more than 10,000 men in the UK every year.
Run for the Future, which is organised by Bristol Rotarians, sponsored by Spire Healthcare and supported by the Marriott Royal Hotel, is now in its fourth year. It’s already raised more than £130,000 in aid of the Bristol Urological Institute’s Prostate Cancer Appeal, money which is being used to fund vital research into the early detection and treatment of the disease.
“Women turn out in their thousands to support breast cancer appeals, and quite rightly so, but the men in our lives are notoriously bad when it comes to looking after their health. That’s why we have to go back to good old fashioned family values and take responsibility for them,” said Carol. “We have to make sure our menfolk get tested regularly as early detection greatly improves the chances of successful treatment.”
There is currently no national screening programme available on the NHS for prostate cancer, so men have to ask for a PSA blood test that measures the antigens in their blood. However, the test isn’t always entirely accurate, which is why further research is needed.
Run for the Future has funded a joint project between the BUI and the University of the West of England and researchers say they could be as little as five years away from a medical breakthrough, which could save thousands of lives.
As a result of work already undertaken, specialists are a step closer to a simple urine test which could distinguish between the benign and aggressive forms of the disease.
David Gillatt, Director of the BUI and one of the country’s leading prostate cancer surgeons, said: “One of the biggest challenges we face is determining whether the cancer is a pussycat or a tiger. If it’s the former, we may not have to carry out invasive treatment, but simply monitor it. The research has identified a potential marker for the aggressive tumours.”
This year’s Run for the Future takes place on Sunday, 20 September on the Downs in Bristol. You can register on www.runforthefuture.org or for more information ring the Run for the Future Office on 0117 959 6328.
