Prostate cancer is one of the most insidious diseases affecting men in Australia today: one in five men diagnosed with the disease will die.
Despite this, sufferers and their families will argue there’s very little support available for those diagnosed.
Mandurah man Bruce Larsen, for one, knows just how difficult it can be.
“I was in a real dark place during my chemotherapy,” the 60-year-old said.
“Even before I started treatment, I was out of pocket about $7000, just on specialist appointments and things like that. It’s a very common disease – basically everybody knows about it – but just how hard it is, how much it takes out of you, that’s not really known.”
Mr Larsen eventually had to have his prostate removed before facing the possibility of more chemotherapy. The operation changed his life, for better and worse: the obvious limitations affected him deeply, but it also galvanised his hope of raising awareness and support for men suffering from prostate cancer.
Not long after the operation, Mr Larsen discovered the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, a global motorcycle event which raises funds and awareness for prostate cancer and men’s suicide prevention.
The event immediately appealed to Mr Larsen, as it involved a few decidedly masculine pursuits: mateship, motorbikes and dressing up to the nines.
“I needed something to take my mind off the chemotherapy at the time, and so I decided to put together my own kit café racer,” Mr Larsen said, referring to the style of motorbike made popular on European roads in the 1960s and 70s.
“It was the perfect therapy for me, because it eventually lead to me forming these friendships that have been really, really important to my recovery.”
Mr Larsen came into a group making a real difference, as well.
“We raise money for prostate cancer research and men's health in general, and usually, across the board the funding reaches approximately over, I believe, the three million dollar mark each year,” he said.
While the annual ride usually takes them to Perth, with the celebration of his own and other members’ 60th birthdays, a group of riders have decided to make the long trek to the national event in Sydney, replete with smart suits and all.
“The event has gotten big enough that the Perth leg has gotten to be a big deal,” Mr Larsen said.
“But with all these 60ths coming up, we thought it would be special for all of us to make the trip, or at least try, to get to Sydney.
“Two of the guys are riding 60-year-old bikes, while the other three will ride slightly more modern bikes.”
Despite the relative novelty of the event, Mr Larsen is very passionate about the ride, describing it as a very effective way of breaking down the barriers that often affect men with prostate cancer.
“We are trying to get men to talk about their health, as men think they are a very tough hardy bunch, but we all know that women are tougher,” he said.
“My wife is a lot tougher than I will ever be as she helped me, along with family and friends get through some very tough times over the past few years.
“Just because you have gone through the medical side of things with cancer, it leaves long lasting scars mentally. Of this I have first hand experience.”
Not just an “old man’s disease”
One important aspect of prostate cancer Mr Larsen wishes to shed light on is the commonly misconstrued fact that the disease only affects older men.
In fact many men under the age of 50 are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, a fact that the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia says takes many by surprise.
“We actually have a young fella in the group, he found out he had prostate cancer when he was 34 or 35,” Mr Larsen said.
“And finding out then… I mean, for us old blokes, it’s tough, but then you see these younger guys going through the same thing, and you just think, ‘why?’
“But on the other hand they inspire you, because as sad as it is to see these younger guys in these position, they're strong fighters. As long as they have that support, there’s hope for them.”
Mr Larsen and his group have made a Facebook page leading up to the event, including options to donate to help support their trip.
You can see the page, which includes videos and will detail the journey, here: facebook.com/2017ontheroad.
You can also find more details of the Distinguished Gentleman’s ride here.
