• The Foundation is urging men to Stand Up for Their Prostate this Blue September and raise awareness about the importance of PSA testing.
• Campaign highlights that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime – but with early detection, survival rates are over 93%.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Ireland. More than 4,000 men are diagnosed each year and 620  still lose their lives to the disease. Yet when caught early, prostate cancer is highly treatable, with survival rates exceeding 93%.

That’s the urgent message behind the Marie Keating Foundation’s Stand Up for Your Prostate campaign, now in its 9th year and supported by Astellas in association with MSD. Running through September’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the campaign takes a bold, humorous approach to breaking down stigma, encouraging  conversations and prompting men to take a simple first step: a chat with their GP about a PSA blood test.

At the heart of the campaign is the message: ‘No B_m Hole Needed’. The creative plays on long-standing misconceptions about prostate checks, reassuring men that initial testing may be simple, quick and non-invasive.

Helen Forristal, Urology Nurse Specialist and Director of Nursing Services at the Marie Keating Foundation said: “The reality is that early detection often starts with a straightforward PSA blood test – and that’s more than likely it. No awkward exams, no back-door business. If men remember just one thing from this campaign, it’s that checking your prostate health doesn’t need to be a pain in the bum. Humour is helping us spark conversations that can literally save lives.”

The Foundation is urging men to speak to their GP about a PSA test from age 50, or from 45 if there is a family history of prostate or breast cancer.

Helen continued: “We want men to feel confident talking about their prostate health – understanding the signs and symptoms, but also knowing that prostate cancer can often have no warning signs at all. That’s why starting the conversation with your GP is so important. A PSA blood test is simple, quick, non-invasive, and takes less than five minutes – yet it could be the most important step you ever take for your health.”

Why Prostate Health Matters

• Risk factors: Men are 2.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer if a father or brother had it. Inherited genes such as BRCA2, being overweight and a family history of breast cancer also increase risk.
• Lifetime diagnosis: 1 in 6 men in Ireland will be diagnosed; among Black men the risk rises to 1 in 4.
• Early detection saves lives: 93% survive if detected early.
• Testing made simple: A PSA blood test is quick and  non-invasive, and in Dulin and Waterford, can even be done at home with a finger-prick test as part of a new pilot programme*

• Prostate cancer can often be asymptomatic, meaning there are no obvious changes or signs that something might not be right with your body. This is why open and honest communication between men and their GPs is so vital and why we urge you to ask about that important PSA blood test. A simple blood test that can detect your risk of prostate cancer in its earliest stages.

Possible signs and symptoms of prostate cancer include:

• Difficulty or pain passing urine (dysuria)
• Urgency and frequency of urination
• Getting up at night to urinate (nocturia)
• Weak, slow or interrupted flow
• Feeling that the bladder has not emptied fully
• Blood in the urine

Less common symptoms may include trouble having or keeping an erection, or lower back and hip pain.

Mr. David Galvin, Urology Consultant at St. Vincent’s Hospital Group and the Mater Hospital, said:
“All men, but especially those with a family history of prostate cancer, should engage in early detection from age 45 or 50 onwards. A simple PSA test is the best way to assess your risk. Men should make prostate health part of their routine, attending for blood tests every one to two years between the ages of 50 and 70.”

The Stand Up for Your Prostate’s ‘No Bum Hole Needed’ campaign will appear on bus shelters, digital screens and appear on radio nationwide. The public is also encouraged to support the campaign by purchasing the Blue Man Pin (€3), with proceeds funding supports for men on their cancer journey. By using humour, the campaign not only grabs attention but also opens the door to conversations that can save lives.

Helen concluded:
“Men often get a bad reputation for avoiding conversations about their health, but when given the right tools and encouragement, the opposite is true. If a Blue Man Pin or a cheeky pun helps more men to have that conversation and have a simple PSA blood test that leads to lives saved – then it’s a message worth sharing.”