Employees from Marlborough Surgery in Seaham and the Mental Health Alliance have been walking through Seaham to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
Forty representatives from the two organisations took to the streets to let people know more about the symptoms of the illness and the support available from the Mental Health Alliance teams.
There were two teams who took part, starting out at Safe Harbour in Seaham, then to Church Street.
The teams spoke to pedestrians and business owners, highlighting the ability for men over 45 years old to approach their own GP for a blood test, to check whether they may have prostate cancer. They also gave out leaflets with information on the cancer.
Dr Rajiv Mansingh is lead doctor at Marlborough Surgery. He said: “In its early stages, prostate cancer may cause no symptoms, which is why it’s essential that we encourage men to pro-actively request a PSA blood test from their GPs. The leaflet provided information about the illness and what the typical symptoms might be for some men and the actions that they should take.”
The two groups split at the bottom of Church Street.
The first walked past Costa Coffee and onwards towards the Tommy statue, then to the marina where they visited businesses and spoke to members of the public who were visiting Seaham Harbour Marina and Activity Centre.
They then paused next to the statue of Tommy and spoke with passing pedestrians, also highlighting the Mental Health Services available to residents within the Seaham area, advising how and who to speak to about accessing mental health support before it reaches ‘crisis point’. The team continued along North Road towards Tempest Car Park, for a much-needed refreshment break, before commencing their return to Safe Harbour.
The second group walked around the rear of Asda carpark and approached shoppers leaving Asda and Byron Shopping Centre.
They also walked past Tommy speaking with pedestrians, where some of the group diverted on to the beach area, to promote the services to beachgoers as well as those walking along North Road. The group eventually reconnected at Tempest Car Park for refreshments, before returning to Safe Harbour via the beachfront.
Dr Mansingh added: “Prostate Cancer will affect one in eight men, which is why Marlborough Surgery would like to encourage those men who are 45 years or over, particularly those who may have male blood relatives affected by the disease, to contact their GP for a simple blood test. As with all cancers, if it’s caught early, it can be cured.
“Marlborough Surgery proactively carries out blood tests on all males with long term health conditions over 45 years old. This was an initiative that we introduced a couple of years ago and as a consequence have identified a number of patients with prostate cancer, who weren’t even displaying symptoms.
“We would encourage all men who fit into the above category to take a first step and contact their GP. It might just save their life.”
