Richard Attack is sharing his prostate cancer story to help raise awarenessBridlington man, 65, urges other men to ‘trust your instincts and see your GP’

A former painter and decorator has shared his experiences to help raise awareness around prostate cancer. Richard Attack, 65, discovered he had stage four prostate cancer in 2021 after experiencing symptoms for several months.

As a Cancer Alliance patient representative, Richard, from Bridlington, now spends time raising awareness about cancer in communities across Humber and North Yorkshire. He said: “I noticed I was needing the toilet more often to pee, especially at night.

“I put it down to getting older, and when I also started with shoulder pain, I thought it might just be from my job. After a few months of increasing pain, I Googled it and thought it might be a water infection.

“When I eventually went to see the doctor, I was told it was prostate cancer that had spread to my bones. That’s why my shoulder hurt.

“My message to other men is simple: Know the symptoms, trust your instincts, and don’t put off that conversation with your GP if you have any prostate cancer symptoms or symptoms that are not normal for you. That conversation with your GP and ten-minute appointment and examination could well end up saving your life.”

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Richard is helping Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY) Cancer Alliance as it launches a community engagement roadshow to raise awareness about prostate cancer. A number of events are being held across the region during March, which is prostate cancer awareness month.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK – with around 150 new cases diagnosed every day (55,300 per year). Trans women and non-binary people (who are born male) can get prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer affects the prostate gland, a small, walnut-size gland found under the bladder which produces a thick, white fluid that mixes with sperm to make semen. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age and mostly affects men over 50 years old, with one in eight men developing prostate cancer during their lifetime.

However Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer have a one in four risk of developing the disease. Prostate cancer does not usually have any signs or symptoms at first – later signs may include back, hip or pelvis pain, or difficulty maintaining an erection; you may also have problems peeing.

Prostate cancer can be treated successfully if diagnosed at an early stage so throughout March, HNY Cancer Alliance staff and volunteers will be speaking to communities in which prostate cancer is more commonly diagnosed late (stage three and four) to raise awareness and improve understanding of the disease. Prostate Cancer UK has developed a risk-checker tool which can assess your risk in just 30 seconds.

Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance’s prostate cancer community awareness and engagement roadshow timetable is as follows:

Tuesday, March 3: Men in Sheds, HullFriday, March 6: Westcliff Men’s Friday Group, ScunthorpeMonday, March 9: Men in Sheds, BriggThursday, March 12: NEL Men’s Group, GrimsbyFriday, March 13: Scarborough Thrive Men’s Group, ScarboroughMonday, March 23: Men in Sheds, GooleTuesday, March 24: Men in Sheds, Barton upon HumberTuesday, March 31: Men in Sheds, Bridlington

Dr Mark Rogers, urology consultant at Diana, Princess of Wales hospital in Grimsby, said: “It’s important to know what is normal for you and your body, so you can spot signs of prostate cancer as early as possible. That’s why the Cancer Alliance is committed to going out into the community to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms to look out for to support efforts to diagnose and treat prostate cancer as early as possible.

“Some of the main symptoms to be aware of are: needing to pee more frequently (often during the night), needing to rush to the toilet, difficulty in starting to pee (or any hesitancy), straining, weak flow, a feeling your bladder hasn’t emptied, or blood in your urine or semen.”

Visit the Cancer Alliance’s website to find out more about prostate cancer and its prostate cancer awareness month campaign activity.

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