We are a friendly and supportive network that meets at BAWA, Filton. Meeting details and directions are in the column on the left. You can contact us via the Tackle helpline, which will put you in touch with us: 0800 035 5302.
New chairman and secretary
Tim Bond, below, was elected chairman of Prospect at the 2021 AGM. He replaces 
Malcolm Gamlin, who retired after 13 years in the role. Malcolm was thanked for his hard work.
Tim Bond gave a talk to Weston Masons in April that was well received by a friendly bunch. Several had experience of prostate cancer so it felt very like Prospect’s Thursday meetings. The Athelstan Lodge Masons in Weston-super-Mare generously donated £250 to Prospect.
Mick Broggio resigned as secretary but volunteer Martin Webb was co-opted by the committee and elected at the 2021 AGM. Other committee members were re-elected at the AGM too.
Our group aims to:
- Support men who suspect they may have prostate cancer or who have been diagnosed and feel they need more information or support to decide on the best way forward. Our members have been through a variety of treatments and many are willing to talk to newcomers about any issues. A list of these members and the treatment they have had is available via committee members.
- Provide a local informal meeting place for PCa patients, where personal experiences of treatments can be exchanged. We organise occasional walks (see below) and our usual meetings have resumed at 7pm at the BAWA, Filton – directions here
- Keep patients in touch with medical professionals and up-to-date knowledge of medical developments and local arrangements for treatment.
- Champion the cause of PCa patients and encourage all men over 50 to receive an annual PSA check.
- Raise awareness of prostate cancer.
- Symptoms of cancer do not usually appear until the prostate is large enough to affect the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis (urethra). When this happens, you may notice things like:
- an increased need to pee
- straining while you pee
- a feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied
These symptoms should not be ignored, but they do not mean you have prostate cancer. It’s more likely they’re caused by something else, such as prostate enlargement. Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including organs. 1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.
We have found that knowledge is of great benefit to the patient. It enables him to play an active part in the decision-making process, for example in selecting the best treatment.
This site has been compiled by PCa survivors. We don’t claim to have specialist knowledge other than that gained by PCa patients during their treatment.
We offer a friendly welcome – join us
Are you just diagnosed, or do you suspect that you may have prostate cancer? Then for friendly peer support and an introduction to Prospect email prospect.bristol@gmail.com or call the Tackle helpline, which will put you in touch with us: 0800 035 5302. You can join us for a small subscription by filling in the PDF membership form on the Contact/Join us page.
Protected from despair…
George Monbiot writes in the Guardian that the principles that define a good life protect him from despair, despite a diagnosis of prostate cancer and the ‘grisly’ operation he faces (Mar ’18). See here
We give illustrated talks
We give prostate cancer awareness talks to interested groups, including those with learning disabilities. To arrange a talk, contact prospect.bristol@gmail.com or 0800 035 5302.
Having the conversation…
“Manversation” is a campaign to encourage men to speak about prostate cancer, particularly the advanced prostate form. Tackle have collaborated with Orchid, the male cancer charity, and put their name to a video and supporting material on the Manversation website, but this site is undergoing essential maintenance in preparation for a new campaign, coming soon.
Myths debunked and spotting fake cancer news
Ten cancer myths debunked. See here. And also here are six tips to spot cancer fake news
New information for at-risk black men
One in four black men will get prostate cancer – double the overall risk faced by all UK men. Are you are risk? See here
Energise wins award
The exercise-based cancer rehab programme Energise won the Together We Achieve award for 2016. The award, announced at the 
inaugural Health & Care Awards in March ’17, recognises teams working together to deliver improved patient care and public health. See a video about their work here.
For more information on Energise see our Helpful links page.
New research strategy launched
Prostate Cancer UK has launched an ambitious 10-year strategy setting out how it will invest in the most innovative research to create a step change in our knowledge of prostate cancer. See here. The charity also says PCa survival has tripled in the UK over the past 40 years. More than eight in 10 patients are alive ten years after diagnosis – up from one in four in the 1970s.
And we have more research news here.
Swedish test dropped
Swedish researchers found a test which showed promise and seemed much better than PSA alone at detecting potentially dangerous prostate cancers. But now Prostate Cancer UK says the Swedish test, while it has had some uptake in some Scandinavian countries, it has not seen the same uptake elsewhere. Prostate Cancer UK said it had initially intended to support some research towards its use in the UK, but this did not materialise and the field has advanced somewhat since then. It is considering a number of other options which could prove to be more effective than PSA as a diagnostic test, and as specified in its revised research strategy, it is intending large-scale investment to support the development of a screening programme for PCa. The charity hopes to be able to provide an update about this in due course.
Tiger or pussycat? That’s the problem
It’s a big problem to tell the difference between slow-growing cancers and aggressive ones. See here
Cancer ‘as unique as fingerprints’
Each person’s cancer is as unique as their fingerprints, said Professor Gillies McKenna, Director of the CRUK/MCR Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology. This created an opportunity for more precise treatment.