At the Prostate Cancer Foundation of NZ we see first hand how a prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment pathway impacts patients like Maurice, who had started experiencing concerning side effects from his hormone treatment and found himself anxious and distressed.     

"I didn't know where to turn. My health team were hard to reach and when I did talk to them they didn't seem to accept that what I was experiencing was a result of the treatment I was receiving. I was in a bad place mentally and emotionally, and I didn't feel as though anybody was listening." 

He also found good information hard to come by so reached out to the Prostate Cancer Foundation through their Online Support Forum and connected with others experiencing similar issues. It was here that he heard about the Foundation's nurse-led Information Service to which he made numerous calls.

Along with the advice and personalised information Maurice received, he was was referred to the free counselling available to himself, and his partner. This experience has been devastating for both of them.  

"The good thing about the Foundation is their commitment to ensure men and their families do not feel isolated and alone during the treatment process, and even afterwards."