Support men with prostate cancer
For many of us, our dads are our superheroes, our best mate and often the rock of the family. You can give your dad the greatest gift, by supporting dads who are going through the most common cancer to affect men… prostate cancer.
Did you know...
- The average age when prostate cancer affects men is between 50 to 70.
- It’s estimated that men have a 1 in 8 chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85.
- Last year 24,217 new cases were diagnosed in Australia. Common treatments for prostate cancer include hormone therapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
We need your help to run Prostate Cancer Support Nights for public and private patients at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
Facilitated by St Vincent’s Prostate Cancer Nurses, the nights will be a chance for patients and their families to connect with their peers, helping to ease the mental burden of going through treatment for prostate cancer.
We need to raise $10,000 to establish and run this important program. Please donate today.
The special role of prostate cancer nurses
St Vincent's has two prostate cancer nurses on staff - Molly Trethewey and Gail Tzounos. Prostate cancer nurses provide support to men and their families following a prostate cancer diagnosis.
Prostate cancer nurses like Gail and Molly play a crucial role in ensuring patients don't face prostate cancer alone. They provide comprehensive support, from counseling to survivorship care, helping patients navigate their journey and optimize their wellbeing. With a focus on both individual and regional care, these nurses make a significant impact on patients' lives.
This year alone, our team had contact with 1,400 patients, and we're currently caring for 400 to 600 metro and regional patients at St Vincent's.
Picture above: From left, Associate Professor Lih-Ming Wong, a urologist and surgeon at St Vincent's Private, and prostate cancer nurses Molly Trethewey and Gail Tzounos.
Meet St Vincent’s patient, Paul
Paul Cronin, pictured left, a father of three, underwent a prostatectomy in his 40s to remove a large tumor.
Paul still gets emotional thinking about the moment he was told he had cancer. “The news was a shock. I remember being faced with my mortality. I have three beautiful children. My youngest had just turned one. I started to think about how I want to spend my last years with my family.”
Thankfully, the moment of pure dread passed fairly quickly as Paul came to realise that the statistics were in his favour.
The mental impact of his diagnosis did take its toll.
Click here to read Paul's full story.
How can you help cancer patients like Paul?
Please help to ease the mental burden for patients and families going through treatment for prostate cancer. Your support will mean the prostate cancer nursing team will be able to run Prostate Cancer Support Nights for public and private patients at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
Gail says, “The Patient Support Nights will be an opportunity for men to talk to other men. This contact is invaluable and it’s something we just can’t offer!”
Help us raise $10,000 to establish and run this important program.
Prostate Cancer Fast Facts
- Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia
- Prostate cancer mainly affects men aged 50 to 70
- 66 Australian men are diagnosed each day with prostate cancer
- There are no signs or symptoms to look out for. After you turn 50, your GP should do a blood test once a year
- Men diagnosed with prostate cancer have a 95% chance of surviving.
Associate Professor Lih-Ming Wong, a urologist and surgeon at St Vincent's Private and Public Hospitals says, “There’s no known prevention of prostate cancer. Early detection is the best option. It’s one of those cancers you can’t prevent or predict, but family history is important.”
The good news is that 80% of St Vincent’s prostate cancer patients are low grade patients, meaning their cancer is treatable.
