The charity is passionate about supporting men in Wales with prostate issues such as benign prostate disease and prostate cancer through education, awareness, medical training and research.
Benign prostate disease (or enlargement of the prostate) is a very common disease that can cause significant urinary symptoms in men affecting the quality of their lives. Benign prostate disease starts to cause symptoms in middle age and at 80 years of age, the majority of men will have this disorder. The charity aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of benign prostate disease so men can detect when something feels wrong with their urinary system.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Wales and the second most common cause of cancer death in UK men after lung cancer. As a man in Wales the risk of having prostate cancer is 1 in 8. The risk increases dramatically to 1 in 3 if there is a family history of the disease. Afro-Caribbean men have a 1 in 4 risk of prostate cancer.
It is anticipated that in the future prostate cancer will be the most commonly diagnosed cancer. This means there is a significant need to redouble efforts to increase awareness, treatments and research. The survival rate is improving but there is still a need to encourage early diagnosis as this can often lead to a more successful treatment. Early stage prostate cancer has very few or no symptoms but is potentially curable at this stage so it is extremely important for men to be proactive and speak about their prostate health every time they visit their doctor.
The charity aims to help men in Wales by improving equipment for prostate treatments to ensure that men in Wales have access to the best possible treatments available on the NHS. Prostate Cymru works with medical professionals at all stages of their careers, from medical students to consultants, to further their urological education and knowledge so that men in Wales have the best possible outcome.