Prostate cancer sufferers ‘let down’

To date, the Cherrys have spent at least $217,000 on enzalutamide, which is keeping his cancer at an ‘‘undetectable’’ level.

Cherry said he and wife, Robyn, were fortunate to be able to fund treatment: they had savings, and sold their home for a profit when they moved into a retirement village.

But this isn’t the case for most, and it’s like ‘‘walking a tightrope’’. ‘‘The biggest stress I have, currently, is: how can I keep funding it? It’s keeping my cancer at bay, but when I run out of money, the outlook is not good,’’ Cherry said.

One in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime: 42,000 Kiwi men are living with the disease, and 4000 are diagnosed each year.

Ma¯ ori are disproportionately disadvantaged: though less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, they have a mortality rate 1.5 times higher than non-ma¯ ori.

Not everyone experiences symptoms – often, signs of prostate cancer are first detected during a routine check-up.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation recommends all men over 50 speak with their doctor about PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing (a blood test), or from age 45 if there’s a family history.