Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. In Australia, September also means the start of Spring, football finals and, of course, Father’s Day…all great reasons to have a barbecue. By hosting a barbecue for your family, friends, community group, colleagues or team mates, and asking each guest to make a donation, you can play an important part in the fight against this disease.

Click here to register

The Commonwealth Bank has been a proud partner of the PCFA since 2002 and is privileged to continue its support during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. http://www.commbank.com.au/prostatecancer

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Photo: Alex Vaughan  (click the image above to watch the TV commercial)

Some of Australia’s biggest TV, music, media and sports stars have come together to front a major prostate cancer awareness campaign that offers men clarity about prostate cancer and testing. The campaign has been developed to provide men with clear advice on prostate cancer risk by encouraging men to discuss their individual risk and testing options with their doctor.

Well-respected actors, musicians, sportsmen and media commentators including Bert Newton, Steve Waugh, Gyton Grantley, Kirk Pengilly, Adam Spencer, Simon Westaway, and Marcus Graham, have dedicated their time to appear in a series of television commercials, radio commercials and online videos with the aim of reducing confusion some men feel about prostate cancer and prostate cancer testing. The television commercials were developed by award winning director, Paul Middleditch, of Plaza Films and Josh Whiteman, of The Host Agency. The campaign was shot entirely at The Wiggles Studios, in Sydney and edited by Peter Whitmore, of The Editors.

The driving force for the community awareness campaign was Underbelly and Rescue: Special Ops star Les Hill who personally felt Australian men needed to be further educated about the severity of prostate cancer.

“I was absolutely taken back when I realised that every three hours a man dies as a direct result of prostate cancer. We are talking about thousands of men losing their lives each year when prostate cancer can be treated and cured if detected early,” said Mr Hill.

“The support we have received from people in the sport and entertainment industries has been astounding, and if we are able to at least let men know that all it takes is a chat to your doctor, then we would have already made a difference in our community.”

The campaign has been launched as new research shows the majority of men recognise prostate cancer as the most important men’s health issue (83%), but are seeking further information about the benefits of testing for prostate cancer risks and treatment options.

A survey¹ conducted by PCFA found that almost half (40%) of the men surveyed believed the advice given on the benefits of testing for prostate cancer was far too confusing. The survey also found that 41% felt conflicted about treatment options for the disease following a diagnosis.

PCFA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Andrew Giles, says we should be committed to educating not only men but the general public on the risks of prostate cancer.

Early detection is the key to enabling better outcomes and potential cure of prostate cancer. Accordingly, PCFA recommends that men at 50 with no family history of prostate cancer, and men at 40 with a family history, should discuss prostate cancer and assess their personal risk each year with their doctor. If deemed necessary, a combination of both a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) is recommended.

“Testing for prostate cancer should be viewed and discussed at an individual level, PCFA recommends that men talk to their doctors about their individual risk of prostate cancer. As the national peak body, we will continue to support this message in the hope to alleviate the uncertainty around testing and treatment,” said Mr Giles.

1. ANOP Research Services. Prostate Cancer National Awareness Survey, November 2009, n = 700.

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With the application deadline for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) 2011 Research Funding Round closing on Thursday 1 July 2010, PCFA is pleased to announce a new research funding partnership with Cure Cancer Australia Foundation (CCAF). PCFA and CCAF have joined forces to further support young investigators working in the prostate cancer field.

Through this new partnership, CCAF will contribute $90,000 toward the first year of funding for PCFA’s Young Investigator Grant in 2011. Professor John Mills, Chairman of PCFA’s National Research Committee says the Young Investigator Grants encourage new talent and fresh ideas into the field, as well as help ensure the long-term future of prostate cancer research in Australia.

“PCFA is thrilled to partner with Cure Cancer Australia Foundation. Together, we will continue to encourage young investigators to carry out prostate cancer research, and support them as they develop into independent scientists,” Professor Mills said.

PCFA’s Young Investigator Grants provide up to $125,000 per annum, for up to four years, and support young PhD graduates who have demonstrated research ability and who are now ready to become independent investigators. CCAF funding will provide for the most part of the first year of these grants for three successful applicants.

Professor John Mills said, “PCFA aims to fund only the best grants and investigators in the field, with a focus on translational research that will directly benefit the consumer. We are very grateful to CCAF for recognising the need for increased prostate cancer research funding, and for sharing PCFA’s ultimate goal of reducing the impact of this disease on the community.”

In four decades of supporting cancer research, the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation has provided vital seed funding of more than $10 million to young researchers at the start of their careers. This money has been strategically targeted to support young researchers with innovative ideas, enabling them to pursue projects identified by the wider community as most promising in their potential to cure cancer.

Cure Cancer Australia Foundation Chief Executive Officer Leanne Warner said, “Cure Cancer Australia Foundation has passionately supported brilliant young scientists working in cancer research for 44 years in Australia. We are proud of our new partnership with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia which is significant in that it reduces duplication of effort and administration for grant applicants. This collaboration of funding providers, gives researchers more time working at the bench to identify trends which lead to breakthrough discoveries. Our donors expect that we have a responsibility to make it simpler for researchers to obtain the funding they need to get on with the job, and so that's exactly what we are doing!”

Full details about PCFA’s Research Grant program, grant categories and deadlines can be found on PCFA’s website, www.prostate.org.au

Information regarding Cure Cancer Australia Foundation can be found at www.cure.org.au

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Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia has launched a New Men's Health Song. The title of the song is called "Talk About It" composed and sung by Mike Brady musician, radio personality and a member of the PCFA Victorian Board. Mike has donated this song to PCFA to raise awareness of men's health issues.
You can now order the CD using our secure online shop
You can email to order a copy
You can call to order a copy Free call 1800 206 700

Thanks for your interest in "Talk About IT"

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The recent coverage of the early results of the two randomised trials on Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer has yet again ignited the screening debate for prostate cancer around the world.

Read the full article here.

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