Men get a grip on their own health with new prostate research centre

MELBOURNE men have taken control of their health to build a groundbreaking research centre from scratch so they can save mates from prostate cancer.

Leading sportsmen Brett Ogle, Tim Watson, Andrew Gaze, Mark Skaife and Danny Allsopp glove up to give David Parkin a quick check up. The men are all teaming up to support prostate cancer research and show it impacts on men in all walks of life and backgrounds during the Australian Prostate Research Centre. Photo David Caird.

MELBOURNE men have taken control of their health to build a groundbreaking research centre from scratch so they can save mates from prostate cancer.

The Australian Centre for Prostate Cancer and Men’s Health opened yesterday as the nation’s first such service specifically for men.

To be run by Australian Prostate Cancer Research, the $1 million centre in North Melbourne evolved from the efforts of the men who helped build it with no government funds.

High-profile men from the sporting world added their weight to the campaign: Brett Ogle (golf), Tim Watson and David Parkin (AFL), Andrew Gaze (basketball), Mark Skaife (motor sport) and Danny Allsopp (soccer).

The centre, which was opened by federal Health Minister Peter Dutton, began as the brainchild of furniture king Bill Guest who, after winning his own fight with prostate cancer, realised more had to be done for men in the public health system.

Australian Prostate Cancer Research executive director Prof Tony Costello said: “We were trying to run this through philanthropy, but the building unions, the tradies and all the construction companies came in and provided all the materials, time and labour as donated.”

Mr Dutton also announced $6.2 million for 14 prostate cancer nurses around the country.