On Thursday 14th November 2019, Foxy’s Deli & Cafe, Penarth, hosted a Big Breakfast on behalf of Wales independent Prostate Cancer charity, ‘Prostate Cymru’.
The weather was absolutely appalling, yet in the space of four hours, Sian Fox, along with Ellena and Elliott, plus Foxy and Gareth sweating away in the ‘engine room’ (kitchen), served well over forty breakfasts and raised an incredible £665.17p.
Helen Joy of Swanbridge Porkers donated what are quite possibly the nicest tasting sausages in Wales, Nigel Read of Seabreeze Homes funded the eggs and staffing (plus waited on tables! what a trouper), whilst Castell Howell Foods, major sponsors of Prostate Cymru, made a fabulous donation of everything else which appeared on the breakfast plate.
Prostate Cancer takes the lives of approx 1,000 men per month throughout the UK, with around twelve Welsh men per week failing to ‘make the journey’.
This disease is now the biggest cancer killer of men in Wales and has recently overtaken breast cancer in number of annual fatalities.
The odds of any man contracting Prostate Cancer is 1:8, however if they have Afro Caribbean in their direct blood line those odds increase to 1 in 4, or if a man has a direct blood line relative who suffered the cancer, then those odds increase to 1 in 3.
Unlike mammograms and smear test programmes, there is still no recognised screening process for Prostate Cancer, nor is it driven by any Welsh NHS initiative.
Also, early stage Prostate Cancer is symptomless but, if diagnosed, is well over 90% curable. However, the full blown disease, when many symptoms become apparent, is less than 10% curable and sadly produces most of the fatalities.
Consequently, the message from Prostate Cymru, is simple ‘If any man is 50 years old, or has the disease in his direct blood line, he is classed as ‘at risk’ and should visit his GP to discuss having a prostate blood test (PSA) plus a physical examination’ (DRE), both of which are painless and take seconds’.
Although it is accepted PSA blood tests can produce false negative and false positive readings, it remains the only first line check available (and is a legal right for all men 50+ yrs old).
For further information, please visit prostatecymru.com
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