The Bathurst and District Prostate Cancer Support Group (BDPCSG) will hold its AGM at 4pm on Tuesday, February 20 at Daffodil Cottage.

“For some years we have been looking for leaders to come forward to take over from a tired, long-standing committee,” the BDPCSG’s John Trollor said.

“This is unlikely to happen, so it seems we may have to fold.”

Mr Trollor said the group raised awareness of this most common cancer in men, helped men with prostate cancer and their families, supported the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, and donated funds to Daffodil Cottage and local community cancer support groups. 

“Many men have been helped, but few have chosen to come to meetings,” Mr Trollor said.

“It may be that we have not provided what men want. If this is the case, nobody has said so. 

“The sad fact is that only five per cent of men with prostate cancer use a support group. Most men miss out on the information and experience we can provide. 

“The doctors are experts in the disease, but we are the experts in the experience and it is sharing this with other men which helps so much.

“We can tell men of the need to test for prostate cancer referring to the national guidelines. 

“If men knew and used this information, lives could be saved and hopefully we would see fewer men diagnosed with incurable disease.”

But there is another reason to join a support group driven by the desire to help others, he said.

“We have heard that ‘blokes are just like that’, they are ‘too busy’ and ‘they just want to get over it and move on’,” Mr Trollor said.

“If that is true of modern man, it is really disappointing.

“So, where have all the altruistic men gone?”