Coffs prostate cancer survivor’s plea to boost specialist services in regional NSW

Regional men face a 24 per cent higher death rate from this type of cancer than their metro counterparts as one Coffs Harbour survivor joins the fight to help save more lives.

Coffs Harbour's Bruce Robertson is a prostate cancer survivor and was supported through his journey by his wife Sally.

Coffs Harbour prostate cancer survivor Bruce Robertson is backing calls for boosted funding to see more specialist prostate cancer nurses dispatched to regional areas where men face a 24 per cent higher risk of death than their metro counterparts.

The 78-year-old retiree facilitates a local prostate cancer support group and sees the difficulties that men struck down with the illness are up against.

“It’s just harder from the get-go to access the treatments you need,” Mr Robertson said.

“It’s hard enough to get into a GP in a regional area so that’s where it starts. And then if you have to see a urologist and you live in a small country town – you have to travel.”

Coffs Harbour's Bruce Robertson is demanding the government support prostate cancer patients better.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA), there are more than 10,000 regional men diagnosed with prostate cancer annually.

High-need regional areas such as Coffs Harbour are the focus of a PCFA plea for the federal government to provide $7.7 million to recruit 21 specialist prostate cancer nurses.

Bruce Robertson’s call for urgent help could change the outcome for regional men’s lives as they face prostate cancer battles.

PCFA’s Director of Nursing Sally Sara has warned of “growing wait lists and poorer survival outcomes if the government fails to act”.

The specialist nurses can assist men who come to the PCFA supported groups who Mr Robertson said are largely “in shock”.

“For most men it’s a sense of disbelief because they feel fine and fit and all of a sudden they’re coming to grips with the diagnosis and decisions about treatments,” he said.

“The nurses can help with the technical advice as well as advice on deciding to have one treatment or the other by making sure you understand what it all means.

Bruce Robertson, supported by his wife Sally, has joined the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia urging the government to fund specialist nurses.

“They’re just such a valuable resource at a time when men really have to make some pretty tough decisions.

“Unfortunately not everybody in the support group makes it and that’s difficult for everybody but that’s just the way it is.”

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Originally published as Coffs prostate cancer survivor’s plea to boost specialist services in regional NSW