Mark and Linda's lives were turned upside down when Mark was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“The day the doctor actually said, ‘You have prostate cancer,’ it all became a blur. I didn’t hear a thing that was said after that,” Mark remembers. 

All their plans immediately went out the window and instead they were faced with endless doctors’ appointments, meetings with specialists and deciding on treatment plans. It was so overwhelming. They didn’t know what to do or who to talk to. 

For Mark’s wife Linda and their family, it was difficult to know where to turn for the right treatment. “It was so hard to find information, to know what to do,” Linda said.

Navigating the whole process and working out the correct treatment at such an incredibly emotional time can be overwhelming for men like Mark and their families. It’s an added burden at a time when they’re already struggling to cope.

That’s where a Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia specialist nurse can help. Our nurses understand the fear and grief. They listen and provide informed advice when it’s needed. Most importantly, specialist nurses bring a comforting, human element to what can otherwise feel like a clinical process.

Last month Dry July Foundation Beneficiary Program Manager, Zoe Burrell, met with newly recruited Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse, Natasha Roberts, at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Natasha’s position has been made possible thanks to funds raised during the 2019 Dry July campaign.

In 2019, Dry July participants that selected Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia raised over $430,000. These funds, plus an additional grant from Dry July Foundation, went to the PCFA Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing program.

Featured in photo from left to right - 

Zoe Burrell - Dry July Foundation Beneficiary Program Manager
Jason Castle – Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, QLD Fundraising Manager
Natasha Roberts – Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse
Paul Moran - Assistant Nursing Director of Cancer Care Services
Kaylene Woollett – Nursing Director of Surgical and Perioperative Services

We're pleased to announce that Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia has received an additional grant from the Dry July Foundation October grant round.

This grant will enable further funding for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse (PCSN) program.

To date, with this additional grant, the Dry July Foundation has funded 3.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) PCSN's for 3 years across the country.

Tasmanians impacted by prostate cancer now have increased access to a dedicated Prostate Cancer Specialist thanks to funds raised by Dry July Participants.

Jennifer Siemsen is a dedicated prostate cancer specialist nurse at Launceston General Hospital. Her position will expand the availability of the services to help more men and their families. This position will provide care and support across the North and North West of Tasmania. 

Jennifer said she was pleased with this service increase to allow better coverage of the local demand for care: “I am delighted to be taking on this role to support and empower prostate cancer patients and their families in understanding and managing the often-difficult decisions, concerns and anxieties around the impact of a cancer diagnosis and all that follows,” she said. 

“The role provides a single point of contact for these men and their families to access reliable, timely information and supportive services in their cancer journey. The hope is to enable men living in our community to live as well as possible post their prostate cancer diagnosis.”

Ms Siemsen said that it was important for people to know about the role and the value it would bring to men and their families.

“My aim over the next three years is also to raise awareness of Prostate cancer through community engagement and education.”

ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA 

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) is the peak national body for prostate cancer in Australia. We are dedicated to reducing the impact of prostate cancer on Australian men and the people who care about them.

We do this by:

• Promoting and funding world leading, innovative research into prostate cancer

• Implementing awareness and advocacy campaigns and education programs for the Australian community, health professionals and Government

• Supporting men and their families affected by prostate cancer through evidence-based information and resources, support groups and Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia relies on the generosity of individuals, the community and partnerships to carry out our essential work.

For further information about Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, please visit www.pcfa.org.au or call 1800 22 00 99.

Sally Sara knows first-hand the difference that a Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse can make in the life of men and their families having established the role in Southern Adelaide in 2014. In 2018 Sally took on the role of Director Nursing Programs, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, which made her responsible for oversight and development of the service nationally. Sally is passionate that more men and their families have access to this life-changing support as they face prostate cancer. Although her new role does not directly involve clinical work, Sally continues to be personally inspired and driven by the stories of the families that she encountered and supported in her role in Adelaide.  

Sally said, “It was my absolute privilege to be a Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse – across a career spanning 30 years it was by far the most rewarding role I had undertaken. However, I am excited by the potential these Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing roles hold for the future and am delighted to now be responsible for overseeing and further developing the service nationally.”

"Our nurses are there when a man receives the news that they have been diagnosed with prostate cancer – which can be one of the most difficult times in their lives. It’s a very challenging time also because prostate cancer often comes with a range of potential treatment options, so it can be challenging to make that choice. Our nurses are also involved in helping men and their families emotionally and psychologically. They also play an important role in side-effect management following treatment which can be quite debilitating."

"In far too many cases, men with prostate cancer live with long-lasting impacts on physical and psychological wellbeing and often find it difficult to seek or find help or support. From the moment that a man is diagnosed, their Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse becomes the main point of contact for any issues or concern the men and their families may have, including management of symptoms and treatment side effects – there is no end-point to this care."

"Patients often tell us that they need "an opportunity to talk through [their] diagnosis beyond what is available in a standard 15-minute consult with a urologist". A Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse can help patients and their families to understand their diagnosis, what to expect and connect them with services to address the challenges that they may encounter along the way."

“Prostate cancer is too frightening to face alone. Our nurses are there to support men at one of the most difficult times in their lives, to help them understand their diagnosis, the treatment options available to them and also to coordinate their care so that they get all of the help that they need.” 

“We know that this expert support from a Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse can be life-changing for men and their families who are dealing with prostate cancer. From the moment that these men are diagnosed, the prostate cancer specialist nurse can become their main point of contact to discuss any issues that they may have in relation to their diagnosis, treatment, side effect management and after care.”

‘Hear more about the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses program from Director of Nursing, Sally Sara, by clicking HERE’.