Tackling taboos and empowering the community: prostate cancer awareness
I actually was having issues with urination and now I know I likely have an issue with my prostate that I need to be checked out, and I feel more confident in doing so.
Residents who don't have English as their first language are less likely to get good-quality information about health. This year, to address this, we've put on a programme of health information workshops delivered in community settings by clinicians and other experts.
Where possible, we invited speakers with relevant language skills - for example, a Bengali/Sylheti-speaking urologist delivered a prostate cancer awareness workshop hosted by Islington Bangladesh Association. When this wasn't possible, interpreting was provided by the hosting organisation.
Learning about prostate cancer
Around 90 men attended our information workshops about prostate cancer. The relaxed, conversational style of the workshops encouraged greater levels of participation and the breaking down of taboos. The sessions were very well attended by black men, the group most at risk from this type of cancer.
The men were very engaged and left the sessions with an understanding of the importance of prostate health and staying on top of their testing.
"Men are normally quite quiet in sessions, but in this one they were empowered by other men opening up and sharing. The session was great. It really tackled a lot of misinformation around the topic. There was a misconception in their minds as to how the testing happened. There was a misunderstanding as to how preventable prostate cancer is within our community. The clinician was very experienced and knowledgeable. He was able, in a gentle and authoritative way, to encourage them to take action."
What's happened as a result?
- Most of the men attending the sessions said that they would be making changes to their diet and/or exercise levels as a result of attending
- One of our partners reported that, after their prostate cancer awareness session, three asymptomatic participants requested to be tested by their GP. The results came back positive for prostate cancer, but at early stages. They are currently discussing treatment and were extremely grateful for the speaker’s timely information.
- The Consultant Urologist and NCL Cancer Alliance Clinical Network Director for Urology Pathways delivered most of the prostate cancer awareness sessions. He said he found them very worthwhile. Involvement in the project has prompted him to consider what could be done more broadly to increase uptake of PSA2 testing (the test for prostate cancer) in the highest risk groups.
Our community research
In previous years, we focused on identifying the barriers that hinder residents from communities experiencing health inequalities from accessing services, and highlighting these issues to those responsible for health and care in the borough.
This year, with many of these barriers already understood, we've been working to solve some of the issues we already know about.
