A REGIONAL cancer support group has chosen to hold its first meeting in Ellesmere Port.

The Healthy Living Centre on Civic Way will host the inaugural meeting of the Prostate Cancer Support Association's (PSA) Wirral and North Chester group.

The meeting, on Saturday, February 26, is from 10am-noon.The speaker will be Beverley Rogers, uro-oncology special nurse at Wirral Hospital NHS Trust.

The PSA group covers Ellesmere Port and Neston, Wirral, Frodsham and Helsby and Runcorn.

Its aim is to provide help, support and information to those hit by prostate cancer and give them an effective voice.

One of the people setting up the group is Lance Yates, of Helsby, who is a sufferer himself. He said: 'We made contact with every primary care trust in the area and have their backing.

'The PSA group will provide help and support to those with prostate cancer and also to their families and friends who are affected.

'We will, as a group, try to put pressure on certain people as regards better treatment and facilities.

'And we will be informing men they can ask their GP for a PSA test if they are aged 50 and above.'

At present, men with prostate cancer usually go for treatment at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology on the Wirral.

Two treatments available are brachotherapy, where medics put radioactive seeds in the tumour, and cryotherapy, where they freeze the tumour.

Mr Yates said: 'These have been available in the USA for a long time now and are now recognised as the way forward for treating patients.'

For details, call Mr Yates on 01928 722832 or Calvin Wood, of Irby, on 0151 648 4466 after 6pm.