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Press Release
Wednesday 21st November 2012
Raising awareness of the signs,
symptoms of prostate diseases
NHS Western Isles recently visited the Hebridean Men’s Cancer Group to raise awareness of, and
provide information on, the full range of prostate diseases, using a new workplace toolkit.
The workplace toolkit has been produced by Prostate Scotland and includes information on Benign
Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH, or prostate enlargement), Prostatitis and Prostate Cancer.
The target audience is men over 50 years of age, as it is often challenging to get men to talk about
urinary symptoms and indeed many put up with symptoms for many months before seeing their GP.
Scottish Government statistics on cancer care in fact show that patient symptom reporting and referral
times for prostate cancer were the longest amongst a group of six key cancers, with 100 days elapsing
between patients noticing symptoms and referring themselves, compared with under 40 days for breast
cancer.
The statistics for prostate disease are very concerning:
 Prostate disease may affect nearly one in two men in Scotland over middle age.
 Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men in Scotland.
 There is a one in 12 lifetime risk of a man developing prostate cancer.
 There is a greater risk of a man getting prostate cancer if a close family relative has or had
prostate cancer or if there is a strong family history of certain types of breast cancer.
 Projections by the NHS in Scotland show that there is likely to be an increase of 48 per cent in
the numbers of men with prostate cancer over the next 10 years to 2020.
The workplace toolkit is a good way of getting information about prostate disease to men and their
families via the workplace. Norma Macleod, Healthy Working Lives Advisor for NHS Western Isles, took
the toolkit to the Hebridean Men’s Cancer Group at their weekly meeting in Stornoway on Friday
November 16, and after working their way through the toolkit, members agreed that the information
would be beneficial to help raise awareness of signs, symptoms and treatment.
Press Releases/Infection Control/January 10
NHS Western Isles Press Release
“The best at what we do”
NHS Western Isles will work actively with patients, the public and our partners to improve our community's health and wellbeing, to
tackle inequalities, and to deliver high quality, reliable clinical services.
Press Release
Toolkits can be ordered free of charge by contacting Mae Bell, Information and Advice Co-ordinator,
Prostate Scotland on 0131 226 8157 or at [email protected]
Caption: Norma Macleod is pictured with the Hebridean Men’s Cancer Group earlier this month.
For further details contact:
Maggie Fraser
Communications Manager
01851 708060
07810527457
Press Releases/Infection Control/January 10
NHS Western Isles Press Release
“The best at what we do”
NHS Western Isles will work actively with patients, the public and our partners to improve our community's health and wellbeing, to
tackle inequalities, and to deliver high quality, reliable clinical services.