Rishi Sunak today hailed a World Darts Championship charity campaign for saving the lives of men at high risk of one of the UK’s deadliest cancers.
Ahead of the tournament, sponsor Paddy Power announced it would partner with Prostate Cancer UK in a bid to improve diagnosis and treatment of the illness, which kills more than 11,500 men in the UK every year.
Under ‘The Big 180’ initiative, the bookie vowed to give £1,000 each time a maximum 180 score was hit.
It saw £1million raised in total.
More than 125,000 people have also completed Prostate Cancer UK’s online checker since November 30, five times higher than during the same time period last year.
Rishi Sunak today hailed a World Darts Championship charity campaign for saving the lives of men at high risk of one of the UK’s deadliest cancers. Pictured, Mr Sunak welcoming Luke Humphries to Downing Street on January 5 — after his world championship win — where he was given a lesson on how to play darts better
The tournament, held at Alexandra Palace in North London, saw Luke Humphries (pictured) win. The world champion also raised the highest sum of all players with £73,000, after scoring 73 separate 180s
More than 125,000 people have also completed Prostate Cancer UK’s online checker since November 30, five times higher than during the same time period last year
New data shows 71 per cent (89,269) were identified as being ‘high risk’, according to the charity.
The tournament, held at Alexandra Palace in North London, saw Luke Humphries beat 16-year-old Luke Littler 7-4 to take the trophy on January 3.
The world champion also raised the highest sum of all players with £73,000, after scoring 73 separate 180s.
Mr Sunak said: ‘This year’s World Darts Championship transfixed the nation but the epic finale between the two Lukes wasn’t the only positive result to have emerged from the Ally Pally.
‘Paddy Power’s “Big 180” campaign has now chalked up an impressive £1million for Prostate Cancer UK and has helped to save lives by raising awareness of the need to get checked out.’
He added: ‘I am proud to support the campaign which will help researchers develop better treatments and tests to detect the UK’s most common male cancer earlier.
‘It will build on the significant £16million investment the government announced in November to support Prostate Cancer UK’s £42million “Transform” trial, which aims to save thousands of men each year by finding the best way to screen for prostate cancer.’
Mr Humphries has also pledged to make his own separate donation privately to the charity.
He added: ‘My father-in-law has battled prostate cancer.
He got it checked out early, so this is a close thing to my heart.’
Paddy Power projected it would donate around £1million to the charity after 901 maximums were scored during last year’s tournament.
A total of 914 were hit this year — equating to £914,000 — but the bookie said it would round up its donation to £1million.
During the same period, 125,317 men also completed Prostate Cancer UK’s online checker, five times higher than during the same time period last year.
The charity’s risk checker, which helps men understand their risk and decide whether they need a further blood test, involves just three quick questions.
These include your age, your family history of the disease and ethnicity to determine if you carry any of the risk factors.
It then provides information on how men over 50 can access a free prostate cancer check and the opportunity to receive further information via email.
This includes links to what you could ask your GP, contact details for the charity’s specialist nurses, and further resources on symptoms of the disease.
One in eight men develop the disease at some point in their lives, with more than 52,000 men diagnosed each year.
But 9,000 men a year are diagnosed once it has already spread, making it the second most common cause of death from cancer in men after lung cancer.
Experts are in agreement that early detection is key to boosting survival rates.
However, with no national screening programme, progress has been slow in bringing numbers down.
Prostate Cancer UK Chief Executive Laura Kerby said: ‘With £1million raised and incredible and extensive awareness too, we’re thrilled at the success of The Big 180 campaign and are hugely grateful to Paddy Power, the PDC and the players for their brilliant efforts bringing it to life.
Rachael Kane, spokesperson for Paddy Power added: ‘We knew we had hit the bullseye in our sponsorship of this year’s first ever Paddy Power World Darts Championship.
More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year on average in the UK, making it the most common cancer in men. Around 12,000 men die every year from the disease — the equivalent of one every 45 minutes
‘The stars aligned to make it the biggest and most exciting yet. But knowing that our Big 180 campaign has had this level of impact puts it all into context.’
Cancer Research UK analysis estimates that around 167,000 lives are lost to cancer in the UK every year – some 460 people every day.
The risk of prostate cancer increases as you age, with most cases developing in men aged 50 or older, the NHS says.
Symptoms can include needing to urinate more often, having to wait longer before you can pass urine, erectile dysfunction, blood in urine, weight loss or any new and unexplained lower back pain.
After discussing symptoms a doctor is likely to ask for a urine sample to be checked for infection and a blood sample to test the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which can be used to diagnose prostate cancer.
Celebrities who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer include Stephen Fry, who said he was ‘stunned’ after finding out he had the disease in 2018, but recovered because it was spotted early.
Musician Jools Holland revealed last year that he had been successfully treated for prostate cancer after a diagnosis in 2014.
In August, Prostate Cancer UK also announced that referrals for the disease have reached a record high in the last year — rising 17 per cent — thanks to the ‘Bill Turnbull’ effect.
They said they believe the death of ambassador and presenter encouraged men to go and get tested.
The Daily Mail also recently relaunched its End the Needless Prostate Deaths campaign in a bid to improve diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
