Rudolph Walker is supporting The Prostate Cancer Charity's new strategy - which has raising awareness of the increased risk of the disease in African Caribbean men as one of its key goals.

Rudolph Walker Backs The Charity's New Strategy

Rudolph Walker is supporting The Prostate Cancer Charity's new strategy - which has raising awareness of the increased risk of the disease in African Caribbean men as one of its key goals.

The Eastenders star will be among guests at a launch event, being held to unveil 'Transforming the future for prostate cancer' at the Science Museum, London, on Monday 1 December.

African Caribbean men are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer, and at an earlier age, than white men. Ensuring that African Caribbean men and women know more about prostate cancer and act on that knowledge by 2020 is one of the five priority targets of the strategy.

There is evidence that too few African Caribbean men and women are aware of their increased risk. The Charity will undertake a series of actions, including lobbying government and the NHS to ensure that services are culturally relevant, as well as ensuring that work with African Caribbean communities is integrated across all of the Charity's activities.

Rudolph Walker said: "It is so important that African Caribbean men are aware of their increased risk of developing prostate cancer and that they take control of their health. 'Transforming the future for prostate cancer' shows real commitment from The Prostate Cancer Charity to ensure African Caribbean men and women are not only more aware, but seek help at an early stage."

John Neate, Chief Executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: "We have a significant track record of working with the African Caribbean community, both to raise awareness and in funding research into prostate cancer risk. We want to build upon this and are committed to delivering a programme of activity, including delivering targeted awareness campaigns, lobbying the government and NHS to ensure services are culturally relevant and, critically, make sure that work with this community is integrated across all of the Charity's activities and communication channels. I am delighted that Rudolph Walker has agreed to support this key event. By doing so, he is sending out a clear message to other African Caribbean men to be aware of their increased risk and to overcome fears surrounding the disease."

The strategy outlines five key goals, which the Charity believes will bring about urgent change for people affected by prostate cancer by 2020.

The first of these - by 2020 significantly more men will survive prostate cancer - aims to reduce the death rate from prostate cancer by 30 per cent, from 25 per 100,000 to 18 per 100,000. This would save the lives of around 3,000 men every year.

Progress on reducing the mortality rate is firmly linked to the research agenda. Critically important is the need to develop a new generation test capable of distinguishing between aggressive and slow-growing forms of prostate cancer. This could form the basis for a national screening programme and would enable treatment to be focussed on those men for whom prostate cancer presents a serious risk to health. The Charity will undertake a number of actions to progress this, including lobbying for increased research into a new diagnostic test and prostate cancer prevention, as well as investing more in its own research programme.

The reduction in the death rate will also be closely connected to another key goal - by 2020, inequalities in access to high quality prostate cancer services will be reduced. National surveys have shown that, the overall NHS experience of men affected by prostate cancer is worse than for patients with other common cancers.

'Transforming The Future For Prostate Cancer' sets out the target that all men affected by the disease will have access to the same range of high standard diagnostic, and treatment services - including the management of side effects - and information and support. The Charity, among other steps, will work towards defining a gold standard for prostate cancer services and care and lobby for this standard to be the norm for all prostate cancer patients across the NHS.

The Charity has identified the vital importance of improving access to information. In 2005, 43 per cent of men in a major survey told The Prostate Cancer Charity they were not given written information about the disease or treatment options when they were diagnosed.

The two further goals - by 2020, society will understand the key facts about prostate cancer and act on this knowledge and by 2020, African Caribbean men and women will know more about prostate cancer and act on that knowledge - address the importance of raising awareness of prostate cancer.

"Many people are touched by cancer and the most important thing I have learned about prostate cancer is not to remain unaware of it. In the African Caribbean community, prostate cancer remains an unspoken disease - surrounded by myths and taboo with many men unsure if they even have a prostate. However, African Caribbean men are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men. What matters to me is helping to dispel those myths and fears to allow more men to take control of their health." Benjamin Zephaniah