For many years prostate cancer was a taboo subject. A lack of information about the disease kept it out of the public eye until 1996, when a conultant urologist set up The Prostate Cancer Charity to support men who were diagnosed and channel energy into the causes of the disease.
Confusion about where the prostate gland is (tucked under the bladder), and what it does (it’s part of the male reproductive organs) combined with embarrassment over the symptoms and treatment of the disease, kept many men quiet for years.
Finally, thanks to the efforts of The Prostate Cancer Charity, prostate cancer is getting the attention it deserves. From the press, science funding and some policy makers - but there's still a long way to go before awareness about this cancer can actually make a difference to the number of deaths every year.
Last year, as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Week 2007, M&S distributed thousands of leaflets telling our customers about prostate cancer, as well as raising money through sales of blue man pin badges.
By the end of the campaign, M&S customers were better informed about prostate cancer, and better equipped to identify the risks and possible symptoms of the disease.
This year, M&S hopes to double the £100,000 we raised last year, and reach even more customers with The Prostate Charity’s message. As well as blue man pin badges, we've launched a range of menswear products the retail price of which includes a 10% donation to The Prostate Cancer Charity.
So even your socks can make a difference!