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May 2003
Taking strides will fund vital research | |
|  | | Walkers at last year's Walk to Life event |
| | Proceeds from a sponsored walk will help fund cutting edge research into the links between prostate cancer and exposure to sunlight. |
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:: Facts » | Prostate cancer is the second commonest cause of cancer in men and causes about 10,000 deaths per year in this country.
Testicular cancer is the commonest cancer in men aged 20-40 years. |
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| | Last year the Staffordshire University organised Walk for Life raised more than £11,000 which was split between the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer and local breast care units.
Money raised from this year's walk, which takes place from Westbridge Park, Stone on Sunday May 18, will be divided between the urology unit at The University Hospital of North Staffordshire and the Breakthrough charity.
The urology unit treats patients with prostate and testicular cancer - two of the most common causes of cancer in men. Consultant urologist Mark Saxby said:
 We have a research program for prostate cancer that has lead to several papers being published. It has looked at the effect of sunlight exposure on prostate cancer and the findings have attracted international attention.
Money raised will help this research to continue. There is a wait for diagnostic biopsies to look for prostate cancer that might be able to be reduced with the help of this money raised.  | Mark Saxby
Consultant Urologist |
Research already carried out at the unit and published in the Lancet suggests that higher levels of exposure to the sun can give some protection against both the development and severity of prostate cancer.
 | Last year's walk along the canal |
Meanwhile men, women and children are being urged to join staff and students from Staffordshire University in the sponsored walk which follows the Trent and Mersey canal from Stone to the University campus in Leek Road, Stoke. Public Relations manager Angela Carryer said:
We were delighted with the number of families who turned out to take part in last year's Walk for Life and several said they were doing it for a friend or relative who had some experience of breast cancer.
We hope even more people will walk the walk this year and join us afterwards for an afternoon of family fun. | Angela Carryer
Public relations manager - Staffordshire University |
The walk, which is supported by The Directorate of Health Promotion, has also received backing from Eastenders star Casey Ainsworth (Little Mo) who has signed a T-shirt to be auctioned on the afternoon of the walk.
For more information or a sponsorship pack, contact the Public Relations department at Staffordshire University on (01782) 292708. | | | |
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| |  | BBC Stoke and Staffordshire
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Stoke-on-Trent
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tel: (+44) 01782 221281
e-mail: [email protected] |
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