A group of leading British sporting identities have teamed up to help boost prostate cancer research.
Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling, former England and Manchester City star and prostate cancer survivor Mike Summerbee, and two-time world boxing champion Johnny Nelson are among those taking part in the initiative launched on Tuesday by Prostate Cancer UK.
The charity will share new statistics showing prostate cancer has become the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Britain for the first time – a development which has come 10 years earlier than previously predicted, due mainly to increased awareness.
While considerable research has been conducted into the disease, the Covid-19 crisis had “put much of this research at risk”, the charity said in a statement, while calling for support to raise the millions of pounds it says is required “to get prostate cancer research back on track”.
Also joining the campaign are former US Masters golf champion Danny Willett, former Leeds Rhinos rugby league captain Kevin Sinfield, and triple BDO World darts champion Martin Adams, who is living with prostate cancer.
Stelling, a Prostate Cancer UK ambassador, has raised more than £1million for the charity through a series of March for Men marathon walks.
“Prostate cancer being the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK is a sobering statistic,” Stelling said.
“But this does mean that the message is getting out there about the dangers of this disease and that more people are having vital conversations about it.
“These are difficult times for the charity. Research has stopped and we desperately need to develop a screening programme to improve the outcome for men, so we need to keep on fundraising as much as we can.
“I’ve been in the research labs, and there are some mighty talented and dedicated people who are working their socks off to find effective treatments for prostate cancer.
“The sooner those treatments come along then the happier me and some of my close friends affected by prostate cancer will be.”
The campaign will also feature Lauren Clark, the widow of former England cricket paceman Bob Willis who died of prostate cancer last year.
To learn about the impact of Covid-19 on research, and to donate to Prostate Cancer UK, people are asked to visit the charity’s website prostatecanceruk.org/fundresearch.
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