Prost! Exercise 4 Prostate Cancer
Today our Guest speaker was fellow Rotarian, Jeff Leach. Along with being involved in a number of business and not-for-profit interests, Jeff is a founding member of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and has been a director on the WA Board since 2012. He is also a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Perth and a Paul Harris Triple Sapphire Fellow. His talk today focussed on Prost!
Jeff is chairman of PROST! and has been a member since 2022. Prost is a professional evidence-based prostate cancer group exercise support program providing gym sessions and social gatherings, enabling men to connect with other men in their area who are also dealing with prostate cancer. Lead by qualified exercise physiologists at gyms and football clubs across Perth, the not-for-profit registered charity is run by volunteers to support men with prostate cancer.
Jeff spoke of how 1 in 5 men will be affected by prostate cancer and that early detection is essential for men to survive. He recommends men over the age of 50 have a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test annually. For those with a family history of prostate cancer, the test should start at age 40. Should there be a large jump in the measure then further investigation and treatment is required. Jeff related his own story of having been diagnosed with prostate cancer 2 years ago. Early detection through a PSA test enabled him to seek immediate treatment and enabled him to beat the cancer.
For men with prostate cancer, Prost! provides the support both mentally and physically for men to deal with the side effects of the various treatments available.
Jeff stressed that further research, awareness and support are necessary for this treatable disease and encouraged us all to spread the word.