Prostate cancer: The message is clear this Blue September for men to get checked – Editorial

Rotorua father Daniel Hazelwood died from prostate cancer. His mission was to urge others to get checked.

THE FACTS

• Daniel Hazelwood missed the birth of his grandchild after losing his battle with prostate cancer.
• More than 700 men die and about 4000 are diagnosed with prostate cancer annually.
• Blue September raises awareness and funds. Men over 50, or over 40 with a family history, are urged to get checked.

The story published in the Rotorua Daily Post this week about local father Daniel Hazelwood is heartbreaking.

The 62-year-old’s widow says he “fought with all he had” to see the birth of his first grandchild, but he missed out after losing his prostate cancer battle.

It’s partly a story about what could have been and what should have been. A man with deep, obvious love for his family, who should have had plenty of years ahead of him.

Tragically, he didn’t.

Hazelwood is not alone. More than 700 men with prostate cancer die and about 4000 are diagnosed in New Zealand annually.

Ponder the figures for a moment. That’s an average of about two people a day who die and an average of about 10 who are told the bad news.

Blue September is the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s awareness month that shines a light on the disease, with publicity and fundraisers to help support patients and their families.

For Hazelwood’s family, it means raising much-needed money for the foundation, with a Blue Walk in Rotorua today. It also means carrying on his legacy of encouraging men to get checked.

Regular checks are a critical weapon in the frontline war against prostate cancer, given that 61% of survivors say they had no symptoms when diagnosed.

They can mean catching it early, when it’s highly treatable and can ultimately be the difference between life and death.

There are two checks: a blood test and a digital rectal exam. The foundation says men aged over 50, and those over 40 who have a family history, should be getting checked every one to two years.

Some men are reluctant. Others try to avoid the doctor altogether.

However, as urology consultant Jim Duthie rightly points out: “Not having visited a GP in 20 years is not a badge of honour.”

Partners and families are important in being proactive and encouraging the men in their lives to see the doctor regularly. The alternative is staying in the dark and potentially not knowing until it is too late.

The burden of prostate cancer, like other cancers, is huge. The loss of life is catastrophic and long-term impacts for survivors can be challenging.

So the message is clear this Blue September. If you’re a man, especially if you are over 50 or have a family history, get checked.

Do it for yourself. Do it for your whānau.

Daniel Hazelwood’s widow, Shirley Hazelwood, has the final word.

“What mattered most to him was not his own struggle but the mission he carried so deeply in his heart to urge men to get checked,” she says.

“It could save your life.”