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This Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – Speak up, support, and take action

jonckie

The goal of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is to break down stigma, provide clear facts and empower men at every stage, whether they’re at risk or already on a cancer journey1.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, recognised globally as a time to bring together healthcare providers, survivors, researchers and families to focus on this disease that affects millions of men. This month aims to raise awareness, encourage early detection, support those affected and fund research for improved outcomes1.

September also sees initiatives gaining momentum locally to increase awareness about Prostate Cancer. The Hollard Daredevil Run, taking place this year on 31 October, encourages men to talk more openly about their health, specifically when it comes to prostate and testicular cancers. This annual event uses a playful idea to drive a powerful message and sees men and boys running 5km dressed only in a purple Speedo. All funds raised go to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa (PCF), to fund testing in under-resourced areas and increase awareness, support and research. The campaign encourages participants to “make their ballsiest move yet” and push boundaries in the fight against prostate and testicular cancers. Entries for this year’s Hollard Daredevil Run are now open at www.ticketpro.co.za.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation, along with partnering with Hollard each year on the Daredevil Run, also spearheads Suit Up September. This campaign encourages men and women across South Africa to wear a suit on a chosen day and display a “Suit Up” badge to show their support for prostate cancer awareness.

The initiative aims to spark conversations, educate the public and promote early detection of prostate cancer2. Those interested can visit https://prostate-ca.co.za/new-shop/.

“I think one of the special things about the Hollard Daredevil Run is that men are very difficult to talk to about health. When you start talking about health, they often tend to shut down.

But when you combine a little bit of entertainment, a little bit of fun, give them a bit of a dare – suddenly they start to engage. Once they actually do a Hollard Daredevil Run, they’ll be back again, because it’s just so much fun,” says Andrew Oberholzer, CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

“We have to make men’s health fun in order to engage with them. It sparks that conversation, which is really unique,” he says.

Each year, thousands of men in South Africa lose their lives to prostate cancer, even though it is highly treatable when detected early. Globally, an estimated 6.6% of all male deaths are due to prostate cancer, while in South Africa, this percentage is estimated to be as high as 13%3.

“Men are often diagnosed too late. In South Africa, most men present with late-stage prostate cancer when the disease is no longer curable. Treatment for advanced prostate cancer involves removing testosterone (androgen deprivation therapy) which has life changing side effects. As the cancer progresses it becomes resistant to treatment and a multidisciplinary team is required to manage the patient, which is expensive and not always available in South Africa’s resource constrained public sector. As you know, 80% of South Africans depend on the public sector, so late diagnosis is particularly difficult and costly to treat,” says Lorraine Govender, CANSA National Manager: Health Programmes. “Early detection through screening can make all the difference between full recovery and a terminal diagnosis. Yet in many communities, there is no access to free or low-cost screening and public awareness is minimal. Silence and stigma keep men away from the clinic. Many avoid health checks due to cultural taboos, fear of diagnosis and misconceptions about prostate cancer”.

Early detection of prostate cancer greatly improves a man’s chances of survival. When caught before it spreads beyond the prostate, more than 99% of men are still alive five years after diagnosis4.

This 5-year survival rate is a standard measure of cancer outcomes and shows that early detection is a strong indicator of long-term survival. However, if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate drops to approximately 30%4, a stark reminder about the importance of early screening and treatment.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein made by the prostate. A simple blood test can measure PSA levels, which can help detect prostate cancer early. A high PSA level will possibly require further investigation and referral to a urologist5.

It is recommended that men at higher risk for prostate cancer, including Black African men and those with a family history of breast or prostate cancer, should go for an annual PSA screening from the age of 40. For men with an average risk, screening should start at the age of 456.

“Education empowers families, not just patients. Awareness campaigns don’t only target men, they educate wives, partners, sons and daughters, who often influence whether men go for testing,” says Govender.

Whether it’s registering to proudly put on a purple Speedo to run 5km on 31 October, suiting up in September to raise awareness, or just booking you or your partner’s annual PSA screening, make this Prostate Cancer Awareness Month one that gets more men and families talking, sharing and taking action.

For more information, go to https://prostate-ca.co.za and https://cansa.org.za/prostate-cancer or to find out more about the Hollard Daredevil Run, go to www.hollard.co.za/daredevilrun. For anyone wanting to help this year’s Hollard Daredevil Run raise even more funds and raise more awareness about prostate cancer, please go to BackABuddy.

References:

  1. Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/prostate-cancer-awareness-month/
  1. Suit Up September – https://prostate-ca.co.za/suit-up-in-september-2025-and-help-us-raise-awareness-about-prostate-cancer/
  1. Insights into prostate cancer awareness and perceptions among men in Tshwane – https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/view/1307
  1. Survival Rates for Prostate Cancer – https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html
  1. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test – https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/tests.html
  1. South African Prostate Cancer Guidelines – Prostate Cancer Foundation 2023 (as supplied)
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