In 2005, 56-year-old Kevin discovered he had prostate cancer. “This was a massive shock as I had no history of the disease,” Kevin said. “At the time my urologist advised me that treatment involved a high risk of impotence and incontinence. After a great deal of anguished consideration I decided to have my prostate removed.”
At the end of August 2005, Kevin underwent a four-hour operation at Brisbane’s Mater Private Hospital. He made a rapid recovery and four years on there is no sign of the cancer returning.
“As a father of five sons, I am hopeful that the serious threat prostate cancer poses to men will soon be eliminated by a scientific breakthrough,” said Kevin.
“Research into prostate cancer at Mater Medical Research Institute (MMRI) provides hope for men like my sons in the next generation.”
MMRI is fighting prostate cancer in two ways; by developing better methods to diagnose and treat prostate cancer. Scientists are looking at how a man's own immune system could be stimulated to fight the disease.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Shockingly, eight men die from the disease every day. That figure equates to almost 3000 prostate cancer deaths each year in Australia, around the same number as breast cancer.
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