Run for the Future Facts
STATISTICS
• Prostate Cancer is the greatest cause of cancer death in men in the UK, having overtaken lung cancer and with over 30,000 sufferers and over 10,000 deaths/ year in the UK it is on a par with breast cancer in women. Yet, unlike women, prostate cancer sufferers do not benefit from national screening programme. In fact, only 8% of men in this country go for a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test, leaving 92% who do not and who as a consequence, run the risk of late ,and possibly fatal, diagnosis of prostate cancer.
• Men who have a history of prostate cancer in the father or breast cancer in the mother are more prone to prostate cancer than the population at large and Afro-Caribbean men are twice to three times more likely to suffer from prostate cancer.
• Prostate cancer tends to affect men above 50 and urologists at the Bristol Urological Institute at Southmead suggest that men above 50 and particularly those in the aforementioned risk groups should have an annual PSA test - it is interesting to note that TV personality Noel Edmonds who fronts our website (www.runforthefuture.org) and whose father died some 10 years ago from prostate cancer stated recently in the Evening Post that he has a twice yearly PSA test!
ROTARY’S REASON FOR INVOLVEMENT
Of the 600 Rotarians in 20 Clubs in the Bristol area, 6 have died from Prostate Cancer in the past 4 years and, coupled with the aforementioned facts about PSA testing in the UK, the Rotary Club of Bristol made an approach to the Bristol Urological Institute in 2004 to suggest that Rotary Clubs in Bristol could help the BUI by organising a “Run for The Future”, an event aimed at :-
• Raising local awareness about Prostate Cancer
• Raising funds for the BUI Bristol Prostate Cancer Appeal (Charity No 11025402) aimed at helping research into its diagnosis and treatment
BUI (BRISTOL UROLOGICAL INSTITUTE)
• Now a major centre for urology in the southwest, coordinating the efforts of specialists from Southmead, BRI and Weston hospitals. In addition, the BUI links closely with the Medical schools at Bristol University and UWE and it is our hope that Run for the Future will generate more funds for research into diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer in Bristol’s three centres of excellence.
THE RUN FOR THE FUTURE COMMITTEE
• The “Run for the Future” Committee comprises 6 Rotarians and 3 co-opted members from the BUI (Bristol Urological Institute), including Senior Urological Consultant David Gillatt, FRCO ChM and Chairman of the BUI Bristol Prostate Cancer Appeal, John Miles who manages TV Celebrity Noel Edmonds - John discovered he had prostate cancer some 6 years ago and was successfully treated thanks to information he obtained from Noel Edmonds, whose father died of prostate cancer some 11 years page.
THE EVENT DETAILS– (website www.runforthefuture.org or ring 0117 9596328)
• Run for the Future takes place at 2 pm on Sunday 16th September 2007 .
• It is a walk, jog or run round a 5 km course on Durdham Downs for the whole family.
• Registration (incl. printed T-shirt and medal) is £15 for adults, £12 for under 18s or £40 for families of up to 5 ( must include one adult)
• Register before 30th August to have your t–shirt delivered before the event.
CALLING ALL WOMEN
• The seriousness of Prostate Cancer has not reached the public in same way as breast cancer which, thanks to women’s action groups is now the subject of a NHS screening programme. Furthermore, the success of May’s Race for Life (14,000 entrants) and Sunday’s Sun Walk (2,000 entrants) demonstrates the motivation of local women to “fight for their cause”.
Run for the Future gives them the opportunity to also fight for their men!
