Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer among men in Queensland, with around 4000 men diagnosed each year on average.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and we’re urging men to help raise awareness of the disease and better understand their risk to help detect it early.

While five-year survival rates for prostate cancer are drastically improving and are at 94 per cent, up from 64 per cent in the 1980’s, there’s still no time for complacency.

The cause of prostate cancer is still not clear, and in the early stages, prostate cancer often doesn’t produce any symptoms.

However, we do know that the risk of prostate cancer rises with age and occurs mainly in men over 60 years.

Men with a family history also have an increased risk of developing the disease.

It’s crucial that men understand their risk and let their GP know if they have a family history to receive the right advice on the pros and cons of prostate cancer testing.

Unfortunately, there is currently no single, simple test to detect prostate cancer. 

The test most commonly used in early detection of prostate cancer is the prostate specific antigen blood test but this does not always reliably identify the presence of prostate cancer, or distinguish potentially fatal cancers from benign tumours.

We recommend men speak with their GP about what is right for them, especially if they notice body changes including difficulty or pain in passing urine, or blood in urine, and any of these symptoms combined with pain in the lower back, upper thighs or pelvic region.

If men have questions about prostate cancer, they should visit their GP or call Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 to access information, confidential support and referrals.

Chris McMillan

CEO, Cancer Council Queensland

I encourage local businesses in our region to start planning now on how they can tap into business opportunities that will flow from the Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative. 

I recently visited Singapore as part of the government delegation to explore and leverage the opportunities created by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Australia Singapore Military Training Initiative.

The delegation visit not only provided an opportunity to meet with relevant stakeholders on both sides of the defence agreement, but also provided a much greater appreciation of the logistics involved in moving a small army contingent across the world and the new opportunities available to us as they grow in Australia. 

The Socio-Economic Impact Assessment projected that over 80 per cent of the income generated through the development phase of the Initiative will stay in North and Central Queensland. 

As the expansion is rolled out we will see a large economic boost to our regional centres in close proximity to the military training areas. Even small family businesses will benefit, when the military contingent stop over to use local fuel stations, take-away food shops and supermarkets to supplement their normal supplies. 

I have already seen first-hand the economic benefits to our regional areas, when Australian military exercises are held in Ingham and Charters Towers and when military vehicles and freight is moved between Mount Isa and Townsville. 

I also encourage local businesses interested in opportunities that will arise from the Initiative to register through AusTender and monitor contract information.

Frank Beveridge, Acting Chairman

Regional Development Australia Townsville & North West Queensland