Star-studded campaign drives better prostate cancer awareness

June TV Campaign - #03 from Dillon Brice on Vimeo.

Some of Australia’s biggest TV, music, media and sports stars have come together to front a major prostate cancer awareness campaign that offers men clarity about prostate cancer and testing. The campaign has been developed to provide men with clear advice on prostate cancer risk by encouraging men to discuss their individual risk and testing options with their doctor.

Well-respected actors, musicians, sportsmen and media commentators including Bert Newton, Steve Waugh, Gyton Grantley, Kirk Pengilly, Adam Spencer, Simon Westaway, and Marcus Graham, have dedicated their time to appear in a series of television commercials, radio commercials and online videos with the aim of reducing confusion some men feel about prostate cancer and prostate cancer testing. The television commercials were developed by award winning director, Paul Middleditch, of Plaza Films and Josh Whiteman, of The Host Agency. The campaign was shot entirely at The Wiggles Studios, in Sydney and edited by Peter Whitmore, of The Editors.

The driving force for the community awareness campaign was Underbelly and Rescue: Special Ops star Les Hill who personally felt Australian men needed to be further educated about the severity of prostate cancer.

“I was absolutely taken back when I realised that every three hours a man dies as a direct result of prostate cancer. We are talking about thousands of men losing their lives each year when prostate cancer can be treated and cured if detected early,” said Mr Hill.

“The support we have received from people in the sport and entertainment industries has been astounding, and if we are able to at least let men know that all it takes is a chat to your doctor, then we would have already made a difference in our community.”

The campaign has been launched as new research shows the majority of men recognise prostate cancer as the most important men’s health issue (83%), but are seeking further information about the benefits of testing for prostate cancer risks and treatment options.

A survey1 conducted by PCFA found that almost half (40%) of the men surveyed believed the advice given on the benefits of testing for prostate cancer was far too confusing. The survey also found that 41% felt conflicted about treatment options for the disease following a diagnosis.

PCFA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Andrew Giles, says we should be committed to educating not only men but the general public on the risks of prostate cancer.

Early detection is the key to enabling better outcomes and potential cure of prostate cancer. Accordingly, PCFA recommends that men at 50 with no family history of prostate cancer, and men at 40 with a family history, should discuss prostate cancer and assess their personal risk each year with their doctor. If deemed necessary, a combination of both a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) is recommended.

“Testing for prostate cancer should be viewed and discussed at an individual level, PCFA recommends that men talk to their doctors about their individual risk of prostate cancer. As the national peak body, we will continue to support this message in the hope to alleviate the uncertainty around testing and treatment,” said Mr Giles.

Star-studded campaign drives better prostate cancer awareness