August 06 2021 | News
July was a very hot month to take on the challenge of running 26.2 miles to raise money for charity.
But the Summer temperatures – which reached 34 on July 18th (the hottest day of the year) did not stop Summerfield Healthcare CQC manager Paul from completing his marathon challenge for Prostate Cancer UK.
Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, killing one man every 45 minutes.
Thousands of pounds has been raised in the Run the Month: Marathon Edition challenge that raises funds for the organisation that aims to stop prostate cancer being a killer by funding groundbreaking research, driving improvements in treatment, and fighting injustice in care.
Paul, a registered mental health nurse, said: “It was definitely a hot month for running but it was for a great cause and I think that makes it easier to complete even in tough temperatures.
“Here at Summerfield we carry out the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test used specifically to screen for prostate cancer so raising funds for Prostate Cancer UK is something the whole team wanted to do – and I am the runner so I took one for the Summerfield team!!”
PSA is a protein produced by tissues in the prostate and it is normal to have a certain level of PSA present in your blood. However, elevated levels of PSA can be an indicator for prostate cancer. A simple blood test for PSA will show if there is a need for further testing.
Prostate specific antigen levels can also be raised by other conditions so we always advise that if you have a PSA test and the results are higher than average, that you follow this up with further testing which Summerfield Healthcare can assist you in providing.
Thousands of people took part in the Run the Month challenge raising tens of thousands of pounds for Prostate Cancer UK that will go towards life-saving research and support for men and their families affected by prostate cancer.
Find out more about Prostate Cancer UK here.