A campaign to raise awareness of the importance of psychological support and a series of new meetings for advanced prostate cancer survivors was launched by Janssen, the Irish Cancer Society, and broadcaster Pat Kenny recently.
One of the meetings will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone, on Tuesday, November 24. The campaign was launched in the wake of a new European survey that reveals prostate cancer patients are more likely to worry about intimacy problems and feeling ill than the risk of death.
Latest figures from the National Cancer Registry show that four out of five men with prostate cancer in Ireland will be alive a decade later, with a marked increase recorded in five-year survival from 69 per cent to 91 per cent between 1994 and 2012. John McCormack, chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society said: “With a marked increase in the number of men surviving prostate cancer in Ireland comes the increased need for greater cancer support services such as psychological support that seeks to improve quality of life for men and their families, foster acceptance, and encourage open and honest communication.”
Broadcaster Pat Kenny helped launch a series of Man to Man meetings scheduled to visit rural areas including Donegal, Kerry, and Westmeath during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in November. The meetings led by keynote speaker, clinical psychologist, Dr Patricia Byrne, will offer practical advice on ways to cope with advanced prostate cancer, addressing issues such as fatigue, coping with emotions and the impact on family and friends. They will also feature a man from the Man to Man: Irish Stories of Hope in Prostate Cancer storybook, sharing his lived experience of the illness and insights on how to cope.
The Man to Man meeting will take place in Athlone at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Tuesday, November 24, from 7pm to 8pm. Light refreshments will be served from 6.30pm. The presentations will be followed by a question and answer session. The Man to Man meetings are open to everyone and are free to attend. Further details can be found on www.cancer.ie or www.janssen.ie
