6 minutes Adam Gaines

New Prostate Scotland website launched during prostate cancer awareness month

Prostate Scotland launches new website to help enable men and their families to have greater access to information about prostate cancer and disease in Scotland 

As part of prostate cancer awareness month Prostate Scotland, has launched a new upgraded website to provide information about prostate cancer and disease, its symptoms and treatments. The website, which is at www.prostatescotland.org.uk provides a wealth of helpful information for people with prostate disease as well as prostate cancer, is aimed at men and their families coming new to the topic, as well as those diagnosed. With information for people wanting to find out about symptoms or worried about prostate disease, there are also videos by doctors about treatments as well as patients sharing their own experiences. One special feature is the resource centre containing downloadable booklets on all the prostate diseases making them universally accessible. There is also an improved resource for supporters of the charity who do everything from running marathons and climbing munros to holding quiz nights.

Robert Wilson Chairman of Prostate Scotland said: “We are delighted to launch this new website during prostate cancer awareness month to enable people across Scotland to have access to information about prostate cancer and disease. With nearly one in two men likely to get prostate disease at some stage in their lives, and one in ten men prostate cancer and a projected increase in incidence there is a vital and growing need to ensure that men and their families have access to information and support.

“We would like to acknowledge and thank the Freemasons from across Scotland for their kind donations which have assisted and helped enable this new website, as well as support many other projects. We have very much appreciated the support and partnership with the Grand Lodge of Scotland and Freemasons across the country, which is enabling us to create greater awareness of and reach many more men and their families with information and help about the most common cancer in men. We would like to also thank Union Digital for their creativity, expertise and skill to enable us to develop this new multi-functional website”.

David M. Begg Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland said: “Since we started contributing to Prostate Scotland in 2012 we have contributed almost £340,000 to the campaign. We also participate in distributing leaflets and brochures to all our Lodges in Scotland, which has led to increased awareness of the disease and its symptoms, resulting in a significant number presenting themselves to their doctors for early treatment of the disease.”

Prof. Alan McNeill Trustee of Prostate Scotland and Consultant Urological Surgeon said: “Prostate disease and prostate cancer are all too common, but yet many men remain unaware of them or the symptoms of disease. I am pleased that there have been some significant advances in recent years both in information for patients and in treatments, however, there is still room for improvement – especially in encouraging early diagnosis – the earlier the detection and diagnosis the more effective treatment is likely to be. This new website will help make a difference by providing a comprehensive source of information for patients and their families wherever they are in Scotland.”

Patient Bruce Loughlin who is on one of the videos talking about his surgery for prostate cancer said: “When I found out I had prostate cancer getting up-to-date and reliable information was vital – and the Prostate Scotland information was very helpful to me. I believe that men in Scotland and their families will find this new website helpful – just as it was for me when I was diagnosed”.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Scotland and the incidence of prostate cancer is projected to increase over the next decade yet prostate health issues are still not well enough known and one aim of Prostate Scotland is to change that. We hope that the new website will be one of the tools which will help us towards achieving that particular aim.

Ends

Notes to editors:

  1. For further information please contact Adam Gaines on 0131 603 8660 or email info@prostatescotland.org.uk
  2. Prostate Scotland was set up in 2006 as a Scottish charity to develop awareness of prostate disease, to support men and their families/ partners with the disease through providing advice and information and to advance treatment and research into prostate disease. Its aim is to reach out across Scotland to create greater awareness amongst men and their families/partners about prostate disease and to advance treatment. It has established www.prostatescotland.org.uk providing a wide range of information about prostate disease and treatments, as well as providing information and advice about prostate disease to men and their families across Scotland. In 2010 the charity won a national award for its impact on community health and in 2013 and 2015 was commended in the British Medical Association Patient information Awards. Prostate Scotland is a registered Scottish charity No.SC037494
  3. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst men in Scotland, with a lifetime chance of one in ten men developing it. There were over 32,675 new registrations of men with prostate cancer between 2004 and 2014 and 9133 deaths of men in Scotland from prostate cancer, during that period[i]. Over the past 20 years the number of men surviving prostate cancer has doubled and survival rates are now 80%. Projections by the NHS show that the diagnosis of men with prostate cancer is likely to rise by up to 35% between now and 2027. March is Prostate cancer awareness month.

[i] See Scottish Cancer Registry May 2016 and Cancer Incidence in in Scotland (2014), and Information Services Division NHS National Services Scotland  November 2015