Ex-Hollyoaks beauty and recent Jungle recruit Gemma Atkinson is fronting the launch of our Give Your Balls A SQUEEZE campaign in support of the Everyman Male Cancer Cancer Campaign. We aim to raise a healthy six-figure sum to aid Everyman´s vital research into prostate and testicular cancer, as well as raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of these diseases so we’ve called on Gemma´s cheeky charms to help get UK men to sit up and take note.

Gemma said, “When I found out that more than 10,000 men die from prostate cancer every year, and that testicular cancer can affect boys as young as 15, I was genuinely shocked. I´m so pleased I can help to play a part in Rileys Give Your Balls A SQUEEZE campaign, which supports the Everyman cancer charity.”

“It´s a really fun way to make a serious point and get men to start recognising the early signs of prostate and testicular cancer. I hope the campaign is a huge success.”

Rileys will be selling SQUEEZY ball key rings in clubs in aid of Everyman, but we are also planning a series of national and local fundraising and awareness activities throughout the next twelve months to help collect as much cash as possible to support Everyman – the UK´s leading male cancer campaign.

To find your nearest Rileys and buy a SQUEEZY ball keychain in support of the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign, please visit our club finder page.

Gemma Atkinson is no stranger to cuesports. With a great uncle like the late snooker legend, John Spencer, 22-year-old Gemma is not afraid to challenge the boys to a game of eight ball, but importantly the message she is helping Everyman and Rileys get across is a serious one.

Shockingly, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Almost 35,000 men are diagnosed each year and one man dies from it every hour in the UK. Although scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research have made great progress in prostate cancer research, we still do not understand what causes it or how it develops. We urgently need to improve current treatments.

Though it is less common, cases of testicular cancer have increased dramatically over the last 20 years and it is now the most common cancer in men aged 15-45. If caught early enough, the disease can have a cure rate as high as 99%, so awareness can literally save lives.

Here´s what you need to look out for:

Testicular Cancer: Signs and Symptoms

Regular self-examination can help to detect this cancer at an early stage so it is important for men to check their testicles for lumps and changes in size, shape or weight.

Here´s what to feel for:

• A lump in either testicle
• Any enlargement of the testicle
• A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
• A dull ache in the abdomen or groin
• A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum
• Growth or tenderness of the upper chest

If you do have any of these symptoms, don´t just wait and hope that they disappear – go and get checked out by your doctor as soon as possible. Most lumps are not cancerous but the earlier you find out, the earlier you can get any necessary treatment.

AND REMEMBER if caught at an early stage, testicular cancer can have a rate as high as 99%.

Prostate Cancer: Signs and Symptoms

One of the problems related to prostate cancer is that, in its early stages, it often does not cause symptoms. When they do occur they may include any of the following problems:

• Having to rush to the toilet to pass urine
• Passing urine more often and/or at night
• Difficulty getting the flow of urine started
• Starting and stopping whilst passing urine
• Discomfort (pain or burning) whilst passing urine
• A feeling of not having emptied the bladder fully
• Dribbling of urine
• Blood in urine or semen
• Pain or stiffness in the back, hips or pelvis

The prostate enlarges as men get older, and most men have some symptoms affecting urination. These symptoms can be caused by other conditions that are less serious than prostate cancer. However, it is vital that men visit their doctor as soon as possible if they are experiencing any of these symptoms so that the cause can be diagnosed.

For more detailed information, please visit the Everyman website (www.everyman-campaign.org)

Everyman is a campaign run by The Institute of Cancer Research to raise awareness of, and fund research into, male cancers at the Everyman Centre – Europe’s first and only centre dedicated to male cancer research.

So why is Everyman so important?

• The incidences of prostate and testicular cancer are rising, yet we still don’t know why.
• Awareness of male cancer is low and men remain notoriously bad at discussing health matters.
• Male cancer is severely under-funded (10 years behind some other cancers), despite the fact that more than 37,000 men in the UK are affected each year.

Did you know?

• Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in men, affecting around 35,000 people a year in the UK. 95% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer are aged between 45 and 80, with most over the age of 60. One man dies of prostate cancer in the UK every hour.
• Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men aged between 15 and 45, with about 2,000 cases a year in the UK. Incidence is increasing dramatically – by almost 4-fold in the last 50 years, but thanks to advances made at Everyman, testicular cancer is 99% curable if caught early, and with treatment the overall cure rate is 95%.

All statistics: Cancer Research UK. 2004.

For more detailed information, visit the Everyman website. (www.everyman-campaign.org)

From 17th December, Rileys Pool and Snooker clubs is giving you the chance to put your money where your mouth is with its “Pot the Lot” competition. Compete against your local pool rivals to clear a pool table in just one clear swoop for your chance to win all the cash in the pot whilst raising vital funds for Everyman Men’s Cancers Charity Campaign.

Simply go down to your local Rileys club, pay £1 to enter, 50p of which will be donated to Everyman, and put your potting skills to practise. The first contestant to clear all the balls in just one swoop will win the pot! The competition is running in your local Rileys from 17th December 2007 to 29th February 2008 so there is plenty of opportunity to show your local rivals just what you’re made of!

* Following the Break, all balls must be potted in any order without fouling or missing a pot to win the pot.