Rye & District Lions Club has arranged with the Prostate Cancer Support Organisation (PCaSO) to provide a free prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test for men from Rye and nearby villages to assess their risk of any prostate problem, including prostate cancer.
One in every two men will have a health problem with their prostate at some stage of their lives. It could be an infection, benign enlargement or cancer. One in every eight men will develop prostate cancer. and those with a family history of the disease are up to three times more at risk.
Around 42,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. It is now the leading cancer found in men and almost 11,000 men die of this disease annually. If caught in the early stages, cure rates are dramatically improved with over 80% success. Some of the symptoms of prostate problems are: a frequent need to urinate, especially at night; bursting to urinate; slow, difficult or painful flow; stop/start and dribbling or blood in the urine.
PSA is a simple blood test that measures the amount of antigen, produced by the prostate. It is not a direct test for cancer, but a moderately raised reading can be an indicator of a prostate problem and an even higher reading should trigger further tests to determine if there is a need for any treatment. Some leading clinicians believe all men over 50 should know their PSA and have regular yearly tests.
Free PSA testing is offered in Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex by the charity PCaSO. who tested over 1600 men in 2014. In partnership with Rye & District Lions, they are now holding an all-day free test event in Rye for men aged between 45 and 75 at Tilling Green Community Centre, Mason Road, Rye on Saturday October 10.
The testing will be conducted by trained personnel and nurses using the latest Mediwatch Bioscan equipment requiring only a finger prick, not a hypodermic needle, or “an armful” (as Tony Hancock would say). The added advantage is a test result within 10 minutes. It is essential to book an appointment by ringing 01797 253899 or 01797 252382 between 9am and 6pm.
Image: Rye Lions
