EFFORTS have been launched locally to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

Keighley Lions Club partnered with the Cougars to spotlight the disease.

Leaflets were handed out at Cougar Park, containing information about prostate cancer and signs to look out for.

A Lions spokesperson says: "Prostate cancer impacts one in eight men and it's vital people know the signs. The sooner it is spotted, the more hope there is that a positive outcome can be reached.

"We at Lions believe in serving our community, and this event was part of a drive to raise awareness of potentially life-threatening diseases.

"We'd like to thank Keighley Cougars for giving us the opportunity to do our bit to help those who could be affected by this awful type of cancer."

New data reveals that the Yorkshire region has the worst rate in England for men diagnosed with the disease too late to be cured – 20.1 per cent, compared with 12.5 per cent in London, the lowest figure nationally.

The regional rate is also one of the worst across the whole of the UK, second only to Scotland, which stands at 35 per cent.

Urologists at Bradford staged a roadshow in the district this month to help raise awareness, and are hoping to hold further events.

Chidi Molokwu, a consultant urologist and clinical lead, said: "When you look at the figures for Yorkshire, it’s concerning to see they're the highest in England and you have to ask why. The disease is very curable when caught early; it has about a 98 to 100 per cent cure rate.

"As an honorary Yorkshireman myself – I have lived here longer than in my native Nigeria – I'd like to help men in our community increase their awareness of prostate cancer."

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men.

On average, more than 52,000 men are diagnosed with the disease every year. And it claims the lives of over 12,000.

According to Prostate Cancer UK, possible symptoms include:

* Difficulty starting to urinate or emptying your bladder

* A weak flow when you urinate

* A feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied properly

* Dribbling urine after you finish urinating

* Needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night

* A sudden need to urinate – you may sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet

For more information, visit prostatecanceruk.org.