A prostate cancer survivor who lost all three brothers to the disease is to be a special guest at a conference to raise awareness of the condition.
Simeon Greene believes a reluctance to speak about cancer prevented any of his brothers telling each other about their diagnoses until he himself revealed he had cancer.
Now Simeon, aged 60 from Wolverhampton, has traced his family history and discovered as many as 54 family members (uncles and cousins) have died with prostate cancer.
Simeon, originally from Jamaica, was diagnosed when he was 49. Now he is campaigning to raise awareness of prostate cancer among the black community and encouraging black men to be more open about their health.
He will be attending the conference at Wolverhampton Wanderer’s Molineux Stadium where Prostate Cancer UK will be launching Saving Black Men’s Lives in Prostate Cancer: A Manifesto for Collaborative Change.
It takes place on Tuesday April 21.
Simeon said: “Black men are twice as likely as men in the general population to get prostate cancer, and 1 in 4 will develop it. But your chances are far higher if you have a family history of the condition.
“I was absolutely shocked when I called my brothers to tell them about my diagnosis, to find they also had prostate cancer.
“There is definitely a reluctance to talk about this and black men just have to get over it. I’ve got a large family and when I started researching our history I believe 54 of them have had prostate cancer, and I’m not aware any of them discussed it.”
“I’m passionate about saying that if you have a family history of prostate cancer and you are aged over 40 you should talk to you doctor about a PSA test even if you have absolutely no symptoms.”
He says some myths about prostate cancer put people off seeking medical help. These include that you will become impotent or sterile and you will have an examination that involves “a finger up the bum”.
Simeon said: “The PSA test is a blood test like absolutely any other blood test. There is no screening programme but that does not stop men being proactive and asking about it when they see their GP.
“Black men aren’t just more likely to develop prostate cancer, they are statistically more likely to have it diagnosed at a later stage when it is more difficult to treat.”
Simeon is now a patient advocate for West Midlands Cancer Alliance (WMCA) and is one of three men and their partners who have taken part a video produced in conjunction with Prostate Cancer UK, encouraging black men to get tested.
He said: “Partners are important as they can be more open about talking about prostate cancer. They can say, ‘why are you getting up so often to go to the toilet? That’s not like you. What’s changed? Get an appointment’, or ‘your dad/uncle/brother had cancer so please don’t think you’re immune just because you have no symptoms’.”
Sarah Hughes, Managing Director of WMCA will be speaking at the conference and said: “Simeon’s research really shows how hereditary factors can play a part in how susceptible you may be to cancer.
“As with all cancers, early diagnosis and awareness are really key to successful treatment, which is why the work of Simeon and our other patient advocates is so valuable.”
Keith Morgan, Associate Director of Black Health Equity at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Too many Black men in the West Midlands are getting the devastating news they have incurable prostate cancer. We must act now before more dads, brothers, and partners are left behind.”