AN army of defiant supporters, each face hiding a reminder of the families torn apart by the shroud of cancer, recently gathered at a starting line in London ahead of a fundraising walk.

Theirs may not have been a marathon effort, but for thousands of people taking part in the annual March for Men, it is one of the most important events of the year.

This strong showing is just the kind of support the fight against prostate cancer needs, as figures show the disease is on the rise.

For the first time, the number of men dying from prostate cancer every year has overtaken the number of women dying from breast cancer.

Angela Culhane, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, is quick to point out it isn’t a competition, but it is undeniable research into prostate cancer is falling behind.

Angela, from Colchester, knows more than most the impact of the disease.

Her husband, Ian, lost his father, Tom, a Colchester-based police officer with the CID, and his grandfather to prostate cancer.

Tom Hornett was 78 when he died in 2013.

“He was an absolutely lovely bloke who grasped life,” said Angela.

“He was a smart man who would enjoy his retirement in a little holiday house in East Mersea with a glass of cider.

“He unfortunately didn’t make it to his 80th birthday, it would have been his 60th wedding anniversary that year.”

Deciding to take action and fulfil a lifelong ambition to work for a charity, Angela joined Prostate Cancer UK as their director of finance in 2014.

“I knew the job would be difficult, but it was a natural choice to make,” she said.

“I will freely admit I did not realise how serious it is, there is a misconception that it is something men die with rather than from.

"If the disease is caught in a very early stage the outlook is really good, the five year survival rates are 99 per cent.

“If it is diagnosed later it drops down to 36 per cent.”

One man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer, a statistic Angela labels “unacceptable”.

But the only way things will improve is by pumping more money into research towards better diagnosis and treatment.

There is currently no single, reliable test for prostate cancer.

A PSA blood test which is used alongside biopsies and physical examinations can give false positives, and sometimes misses more aggressive cases.

Angela explains: “The problem is there are is a list of prostate cancers which aren’t fatal or aren’t aggressive.

“We haven’t got a screening programme yet and the tests aren’t good enough to tell the difference between the non-aggressive diseases and the aggressive.

“Diagnosis is certainly one of the key priorities, but also different treatments as well.

“At the moment people often have to choose a radical treatment would could have a life-changing side-effects on things such as sexual function and urinary function.

“We want to see that improved.

“We want to be able to launch precision medicine, which enables the cancer to be treated in a much more targeted way based on the individual’s need.”

Not only is Colchester home to the boss of Prostate Cancer UK, but it’s hospital is also leading the way in research into new treatments.

Colchester General Hospital has become the first in Essex and Suffolk to offer brachytherapy with needles for advanced cervical cancer.

The treatment sees radioactive material moved directly into the tumour using tubes.

Doctors hope to soon be able to offer this treatment to men with prostate cancer, which will bypass the need for major surgery in many cases.

For Angela and her team, raising awareness and boosting funding is the main mission.

As she prepared to tackle the walk alongside thousands of supporters, Angela was joined by Tom’s widow, 78-year-old Gladys.

Gladys trained for the event by playing an Elvis song and walking around her home.

Each day she would play an extra song, until she was comfortable enough to go outdoors for longer walks.

On the day of the event, she managed to complete 5k alongside her daughter-in-law.

“Everywhere I looked there were people getting together, uniting behind the cause,” said Angela.

“There were great conversations, lots of people who had had the disease or were getting over it, collaborating, or running in honour of people they had lost.

“One of those was my mother-in-law, which shows the effect it has on the whole family.

“She was very unfit and only a few months ago couldn’t have done anything like this.

“On our backs we had labels saying who we were marching for, my father-in-law.

“This was reflected in the many thousands of teams who were all touched by prostate cancer in some way.”

When asked why she chose to work for a prostate cancer charity, Angela adds: “At least you feel you can do something to make a difference to it.

“I find many people who support us get involved because they want to feel they can do something to give back.”