A CAMPAIGN and support group for men suffering from prostate cancer in Nailsea is appealing for new members.

Nailsea and District Prostate Group was set up as a meeting place for men with prostate worries, so they can voice their concerns and raise awareness about the condition.

The group meets every two months to talk through issues and find out about the latest advice and treatment from expert speakers.

Members have also been campaigning for a national screening programme to be set up by the NHS.

A group spokesman said: “It is felt that many men keep these concerns to themselves, when they should be followed up through their GPs, and it was felt that such a group would be an outlet for what some men might think as an embarrassment.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and every hour one man dies from the disease.

It is estimated that one in eight men will get prostate cancer and more than 40,000 males are diagnosed with it each year.

A number of national campaigns have been set up to raise awareness of the condition and to encourage men to seek help.

Ann Ferguson, from Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Men living with prostate cancer can face a number of specific challenges as its treatments often bring life-changing side effects.

“This is one of the key reasons why Prostate Cancer UK believes that all men and their families affected by the disease need access to a high quality support group and this is something we are working to deliver in the next few years.

“We want to reach more men in their own communities by providing a team of expert nurses and a range of community-based services.

“Work to strengthen our reach is already taking shape and we are making steps to build connections with a network of over 90 local prostate cancer support groups across the UK.

“With prostate cancer claiming the lives of around 10,000 males a year in the UK, men simply deserve better.”

For more details about the Nailsea group visit www.nadpg.org.uk or call Gordon on 01275 858291.