Sep 01 Bowater Toyota gets Blue this September

Matt from Placemakers getting way too cosy in the Bowater Toyota V6 4litre petrol Hilux.

This September Bowater Toyota are putting best foot forward and getting right behind the drive to inform men how important it is to get more involved with their own health. This month is Blue September, the Prostate Cancer Foundation's national awareness campaign to get more kiwi men talking about their health in general, and getting checkups.

Bowater Toyota where keen to get involved when asked by local customers Placemakers. Nationally they are a cornerstone sponsor of the event. Locally they also get right behind it and get folks motivated and talking about it. Amongst otther activities they will be holding an absolutely awesome fundraising evening on Friday September 12th at the Stoke School - a good old fashioned Quiz Night and auction. All proceeds will be donated to Blue September.

It costs $15 a head, and the tables seat 8, so get a bunch of mates together and call Steffan at Placemakers in Stoke asap to secure your spot.

Every year around 600 men die in New Zealand of prostate cancer.  That is more than 600 fathers, sons, brothers, grandfathers - gone! This happens because men don’t know how dangerous the disease is, they don’t talk to their doctor about it, they simply don’t do anything about it. This has to stop. Prostate cancer can be prevented if detected early enough.

That’s why Blue September is about getting the word out about prostate cancer.  If you buy a blue ribbon, paint your face blue, donate money to the Prostate Cancer Foundation or even tell people, you will be directly helping to lower the death rate and reduce the suffering from this disease.

About prostate Cancer.

If you’re over 40, get an annual check for prostate cancer!

• NZ men live on average 4 years less than women
• 6 out of 10 New Zealand males are overweight
• Nearly a quarter of New Zealand men smoke
• 27% of men have potentially hazardous drinking patterns
• Men have fewer years free from disability and poor health (Health and Independence Report 2005, MOH).

In New Zealand, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, around  3,000 registrations each year and about 600 deaths from prostate cancer each year (based on the statistics from the Ministry of Health 2007 – 2009 which show an average of 3082 registrations and 602 deaths).

Men who develop prostate cancer are mostly over the age of 65. It rarely occurs in men younger than 55. About one in 13 men will develop prostate cancer before the age of 75. In very elderly men, prostate cancer often grows very slowly and may cause no symptoms.

Some men are more at risk of getting prostate cancer than others, but the most important risk factor is ageing. Men with a family history of prostate cancer have a higher risk; that is, if the father, an uncle or a brother has had prostate cancer.

Doctors do not know what causes prostate cancer. They do know, however, that the growth of cancer cells in the prostate is stimulated by male hormones, especially testosterone. Most prostate cancer growth is influenced by testosterone.

The speed at which prostate cancer grows varies from man to man. In some men the cancer grows very slowly; in other men, it grows more rapidly.

A cancer is often very hard to find when it is located only within the prostate. This is because it may not cause symptoms and may be too small for a doctor to feel during a routine rectal exam.

A man with slow growing prostate cancer may live for many years and die of other causes, without ever having symptoms of prostate cancer. If the cancer grows too much, however, the prostate usually squeezes the urethra, which it surrounds. Symptoms may then start, such as difficulty in passing urine. As the same symptoms can be caused by other problems, difficulty in passing urine does not always mean that prostate cancer is present.

A growing cancer can affect cells close to the prostate. At the same time, cancer cells may get into the blood and spread to other parts of the body, especially the bones. A man may not have any symptoms during the early period of cancer spread.

Prostate cancer tends to spread to lymph nodes, bones (especially ribs and bones around the hip and lower back), liver and lungs. Cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body will grow, causing symptoms such as bone pain, one of the most common problems.

For more information, support or advice visit the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

You can learn more about Blue September on their website: http://www.blueseptember.org.nz/