THERE are still spaces left for a prostate cancer screening event at Worcester Racecourse.

Worcestershire Ambassadors chairman Kevin Powell is encouraging the city’s men to take advantage of this annual event on Thursday, with statistics showing someone dies of prostrate cancer every 45 minutes.

“I don’t know why more men over 40 are reluctant to get a test when you think of the consequences that late diagnosis of prostate cancer can result in,” said Mr Powell.

The PSA testing event, to take place from 6-9pm on March 7, is in association with Worcestershire Prostate Awareness charity.

In 2016, dad-of-two Robert North was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer following a chance screening while out with friends.

The 55-year-old spoke to the Worcester News on the eve of the last PSA screening event, held by the Ambassadors and WPA at Sixways Stadium.

“Without going to that cancer screening I wouldn’t be here today,” he said. “It basically saved my life.

“I went in and put my £20 in the bucket, signed in and gave a bit of blood and then went and stood and drank and smoked with my mates.

“Two weeks after I got a ‘red’ letter saying that there was something wrong with my blood and PSA levels were high.

“It ended up with me going to the hospital and finding out that I had stage three stroke stage four aggressive cancer that had broken out into my lymph system.”

Last June, with the help of Mr North, the Ambassadors and WPA put on another successful screening event at the racecourse on the night England played Tunisia in the World Cup.

160 men attended the do, which featured former England players Steve Bull and Tony Woodcock before the big game was shown in which Harry Kane scored a late winner.

Retired oncologist surgeon David Baxter-Smith founded WPA in 2014 as part of his nationwide scheme to encourage men to get their PSA levels tested.

At the June event, he told us: “I’ve recently heard a statistic that Worcestershire has the highest incidents of prostate cancer in the country.

“I think that’s my fault because I go all around Worcestershire finding all these incidents.”

He said men’s willingness to undertake a PSA test had seen a “massive increase” over the last year, while his campaign had seen 96,000 blood tests undertaken across the UK, with one in eight being diagnosed with the disease.

A PSA test is a simple blood test that detects the levels of prostate specific antigen in the blood (PSA). This quick test can detect any abnormalities with the prostate, including prostate cancer.

For more information on the Dos and Don'ts before your PSA test, please get in touch via 0121 663 0620.

The PSA test costs £15 to administer, a recommended donation of £25 per person contributes to keeping WPAG going.

See worcestershireambassadors.com for more.

You can also call Tracey Hopkins on 07710 493617 or email: membership@worcestershireambassadors.com