EastEnders bomb-shell puts spotlight on men’s health with ‘lifesaving’ storyline

• Broadcast during Movember, Stan Carter reveals he has the disease and has been keeping it secret
• Prostate Cancer UK has been advising BBC One’s EastEnders writers on their storyline
• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in UK men with 250,000 living with it
• Case studies, spokespeople and key facts about prostate cancer available on request

In a plot line hailed as a potential ‘lifesaver’, Albert Square’s quick witted granddad, Stan Carter, revealed that he has been wrestling in secret with one of the UK’s biggest man killers. In tense scenes, screened tonight, his family learned that Stan - played by leading British actor Timothy West CBE - had kept mum about being diagnosed with prostate cancer, which kills one man every hour in the UK.

Specialist nurses from men’s health charity Prostate Cancer UK, which has been making a splash with its Men United campaign, worked with EastEnders writers to advise on details of Stan’s storyline. The organisation, which supports men, like Stan, with the disease and funds research, has praised the storyline, which it believes could give a real boost to ensuring prostate cancer is not only on the political agenda, but the radar of every man. Prostate Cancer UK is determined to ensure men get a better deal when it comes to their health, and is commending EastEnders for giving centre stage to a disease which lingered in the shadows for too long.

Owen Sharp, Prostate Cancer UK’s Chief Executive said: “When EastEnders first hit our screens 30 years ago, prostate cancer just wasn’t talked about. It was a dirty little secret ‘down below’. Treatment options were extremely limited and survival rates were terrible. Things are getting better, but we have a way to go. Some men, like Stan, are still reluctant to talk about prostate cancer, and reach out for help - but the scriptwriters at EastEnders are helping us to break down one the biggest taboo around men’s health.

“Men United, our movement for anyone who believes men are worth fighting for, which is now 200,000 strong, is turning the tables on prostate cancer. The fact that this prime time show has now become part of the drive to wake men up to this often very treatable disease is potentially a massive ‘lifesaver’.”

Although prostate cancer is often symptomless in its early stages, men over 50, men of black ancestry, or men with a family history of the disease are all at increased risk. Stan, the father of Danny Dyer’s character, Mick, in the much-loved soap, falls into the over 50 group, and Sharp believes this is a fantastic way to increase understanding of risk.

“Being tuned into the disease, and a man’s individual risk, remains a major part of tackling prostate cancer and exposure on EastEnders will get men talking about it - down the pub, with their mates, in the family - and hopefully with their GP. In reality, in the UK, 40,000 men are diagnosed each year, and this brave piece of fiction could well save real men and real lives.” he continued.

In tonight’s show, head of the Carter clan Stan revealed to his devastated family that he had been concealing his illness for years. Stan also drops a bombshell that he has actually turned down treatment.

Prostate Cancer UK’s Clinical Lead, Karen Sumpter has been advising EastEnders on Stan’s storyline. “From overseeing our specialist nurses, to suddenly liaising with the scriptwriters - it has certainly been a really exciting and enjoyable new challenge for me. Of course, I was able to bring a lot of experience to this, as we speak to thousands of men, like Stan, every year.

“The character’s decision to remain silent may seem extreme, but discovering that a man has the disease can be hard to come to terms with, and that news is often difficult to share. Making decisions about diagnosis and treatment options at such an emotional time can be a struggle too. It is crucial for people to get the information they need, and to feel they are not alone in this. It’s often helpful to talk things through with someone who has been in the same boat, which is why we have built our online community, and a network of men to provide ‘peer support’ across the UK, in addition to our Specialist nurses. Men really don’t need to go it alone – and we hope this storyline will urge them to reach out. I think EastEnders has done a fantastic job of presenting the real issues men face, whilst building a believable drama.”

As well as leading change, and spearheading ground-breaking research, Prostate Cancer UK also supports men by giving them the facts around prostate cancer. Anyone who is affected by the issues faced by Stan, and the Carters, can phone one of Prostate Cancer UK’s specialist nurses, on 0800 074 8383, download information from its website prostatecanceruk.org, or speak to their GP.

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