128 men, including 26 identified as non Masons attended Middlewich Masonic Hall on Saturday morning, 13th January 2018 to give blood samples to be tested for PSA the Prostate Specific Antigen which is carried in the blood. Raised levels of PSA can indicate an increased chance of Prostate Cancer. As 1 in 8 men will get Prostate Cancer at some point in their lives it is a sensible precaution to be tested annually.
The blood samples which are taken and screened by phlebotomists from Leighton Hospital wearing their distinctive Yellow “Save a Dad” Tee Shirts with the Masonic Tercentenary Logo are supported by the Cheshire Freemasons Charity (CFC) . The service is offered free of charge to all Masons who attend the sessions. Results are notified by post about a week to ten days later as each man tested will get a personal result card indicating the PSA result depicted graphically in colour.
Green = Low, Amber = Medium (worth getting a doctor to check further) or Red = Warning High PSA (an urgent visit to a doctor is advised).
The 26 men who were identified as non Masons were either friends or relatives of Masons or in all likelihood from Sandiway Golf Club where the event was advertised after having been agreed with the Province.
The Leighton Hospital Prostate Cancer Support Group has been associated with the CFC and the ‘Save a Dad’ campaign for a number of years and there are many Cheshire Masons who have benefited from early diagnosis of this cancer and who owe their continued health to these sessions. David Laundon, Chairman of the Leighton Hospital Prostate Cancer Group said “This has been a very successful event and we are grateful for the sponsorship we receive from the Freemasons of Cheshire”.
