Hannah Gray meets some "mo growers" from the Peterborough area and find out why this event is so important.

He may not be sporting a 'tach this month, but John Gibbs is only too aware of how important funds from Movember are, and also how vital it is to raise awareness of men's health problems.

In 2000, John (62), from Longthorpe, Peterborough, was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

After having his prostate removed the same year, the prognosis was initially good, but today he has to live with the knowledge that there is a risk he could become ill in the future.

His level of PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, a protein which is released into the bloodstream by the prostate, began to rise soon after his surgery.

A rise in this protein can indicate cancer, as well as other less serious conditions relating to the prostate.

John said: "They say it's likely that I have still got it, so it's a matter of what stage, if any, do you decide what to have?"

John admits that his diagnosis, and the risks for the future, have changed his outlook on life.

"I was reading an article and there was a guy there who divided his life into 'before cancer' and 'after cancer' and I thought 'yeah, a lot of us do'. It becomes a defining moment in your life," he said.

"There has been a definite change in my lifestyle. I don't worry about things like a new car or clothes – money.

"Your priorities in life do definitely change. You take a lot more care of your health and change your diet, you exercise more and generally you try and keep your immune system up."

John is determined to use his experiences to help others. He is vice chairman of the Cambridgeshire branch of the Prostate Cancer Support Association, and also volunteers to work on a helpline the association runs.

"I think being part of the Prostate Cancer Support Association is enormously reassuring because you're with people who have got the same problems as yourself," he said.

Men are generally regarded as being reluctant to deal with any health issues or concerns, and John says this can continue even once they have been diagnosed.

"Because of the helpline, I'm aware that some men, when they've been diagnosed, go into shock. They don't really want to confront the disease and it's often their wives that ring up and want to talk about it. They often find it difficult to come to terms with it," he said.

Prostate cancer is a difficult disease in that it, initially, can be symptom-free.

"It had got the name The Silent Killer because, until the disease became very advanced, there weren't any symptoms," John said.

"With breast cancer, if there's a lump you would know that it's a good time to do something about it."

Prostate cancer can be detected through a test for PSA and also by a digital rectal examination.

The problem with a PSA test is that while high levels of the protein can indicate cancer, they can also be linked to other conditions and problems with the prostate which are not as serious, and are quite common among men as they get older.

The message really is to ask for a test if you are concerned.

John said: "Recently I spoke with the wife of a man who had being having serious back pains and they diagnosed as having arthritis when it turns out it was late stage prostate cancer. You have to think if he'd had a PSA test at an earlier stage they may have been able to do something.

"I think that to me brings it home that men over the age of 50, if they are getting any problems in that area, should perhaps go to the doctor and ask for a PSA test. It would be better to be safe than sorry. If you wait until the symptoms do develop, to be honest it could be too late."

So early detection really is the key.

John said: "I think in the majority of cases, prostate cancer is slow-growing so if it's detected early, there is the option to do something about it. The days when cancer was a death threat to a certain extent have receded so there is very definitely a lot that can be, and is being done if it's caught in the early stages."

Elsewhere online:
For more information, visit www.movember.com, and www.prostate-cancer.org.

Next page: The aim of the Movember Foundation