Charity Overview
In the UK 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. These men are our fathers, partners, brothers, colleagues and friends. And 83% of men are unaware of the risks and often there are no symptoms.
By 2030 it will be the most commonly diagnosed of all cancers.
Prostate Cancer UK is here to support, fight for and save the lives of men right now. The charity spreads vital awareness providing health information to change the future for men and their families. As part of their support, they offer a Specialist Nurses Service which is there for men and their loved ones when they need someone to talk to, not only for medical information but also reassurance about their fears.
The charity also funds pioneering research for better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and by 2030 they plan to halve the number of men dying of prostate cancer in the UK.
Project Summary
Men living with prostate cancer, can experience debilitating side-effects of treatment, including highly sensitive issues such as incontinence, impotence, and depression. In addition, care provision to help men with these side-effects can vary across the UK. On top of that, embarrassment and fear can make it difficult for men to ask for help, leaving them feeling isolated and alone.
The funds raised by ICAP have made a significant impact on men experiencing side-effects from treatment of prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer UK have provided men with life changing information that they may not otherwise have known about or felt able or comfortable to access. We send a massive thank you to ICAP for supporting us and sharing our mission to create a future where lives are not limited by prostate cancer.Nicola Tallett – Director of Fundraising and Supporter Engagement
Thanks to ICAP’s support Prostate Cancer UK was able to address this by giving men the tools to help themselves. They developed innovative, online “How to manage” guides that equip men with the information they need to cope with the disease, manage their condition in their daily lives and improve their quality of life.
The guides aim to educate and inform men about common side-effects and help them develop self - care mechanisms to reduce their impact on daily life and improve quality of life and well-being. Men learn how to manage their condition at their convenience, and in complete confidence - giving them a degree of independence and control over their situation.
Developing the guides online meant developing a choice in how men access care and offering an innovative solution for those who may not feel comfortable about interacting with services face-to-face or over the phone.
Since the launched of these guides in May 2017 400,000 people have utilised them, this coincidently, is the number of men living with prostate cancer in the UK today.
A survey measuring the impact of the guides was shared with users. Responses showed that 91% of men who answered the questions said that they had a greater understanding of the subject after reading a section of the guide. 88% said that they felt more confident about doing something to manage their symptoms or side effects. And 85% said they would talk to their doctor or nurse or make a change as a result of reading the information. These changes, that have been prompted by the guides, could be potentially life-changing for these men and this wouldn’t have been possible without ICAP’s support.
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