A KEY goal of the first Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch in Newcastle is to get men talking, and women nagging.
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The event, which will be held at Merewether Surfhouse on Friday, May 31, hopes to raise awareness of prostate cancer, given more than 20,000 Australian men are diagnosed each year.
Lyn Thurnham, the deputy chair of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, said the lunch wasn't about "scaring" men, but propelling them into action.
"The day needs to be fun - it's a Friday afternoon, after all," she said. "But more men die of prostate cancer than women die of breast cancer. It doesn't in any way mean it's a competition, but we do need to let people know about it, we need to let the men know their risks, and perhaps get the women to prod their guys into action too."
Ms Thurnham said men living in regional and rural areas were up to 24 per cent more likely to die of prostate cancer than their metro counterparts. Distance, and access to medical advice and treatment, often led to a delayed diagnosis.
"We don't want to scare guys, it's not about scaring them," she said. "It's about knowing the risks, being able to talk about it, and hopefully it will start blokes talking about whether they have had their PSA levels tested.
"We're at the point of losing the impact of the message of the 'Little Prick' awareness campaign. So now is the time to get that new generation of men, and their spouses, knowing more about it."
Visit blokeslunchnewcastle.com for more.