DOLLY DIAMOND

“I’m putting the camp in campaign!” says showgirl, Dolly Diamond, joining the fight against prostate cancer as a Movember Ambassador.

DNA: Will Dolly be growing a mo for a bro? Dolly: There’s a lot of things I’m willing to do for a man – but no. It’s not a good look for a lady. I’m encouraging those who can’t grow a mo to sign up for Move at Movember.com, and walk or run 60kms over the month of Movember. That’s all! Your 60kms represents the six years that the average man stands to lose from his life for, largely, preventable reasons.

How did you get involved with Movember? Like most of us, I know people whose lives have been affected by cancer. My mum died from lung cancer and my dad died from prostate cancer. He was a tough old thing who, sadly, didn’t pay much attention to his health. I’m doing this to help raise awareness.

The stats on prostate cancer are startling. Were you surprised when you saw them?

The numbers are startling. It’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and last year 3,452 Australian men died from prostate cancer. That’s why I’m getting in on the action and using this face for good! Movember is getting the word out there. Awareness is a wonderful thing.

Getting a prostate check-up… where should we start?

To begin with, well done for being on top of things and not ignoring it. Your risk of developing prostate cancer can increase with age. That doesn’t mean it only affects old men. Stop being ageist. If you’re 50 or over, you should be talking to your doctor about PSA testing. If you’re of African or Caribbean descent, you need to start that conversation at 45. If you have a brother or father with prostate cancer in their history, do it at 45. Men with a family history are two-and-half times more likely to get prostate cancer.

The treatments can involve surgery and chemotherapy and are gruelling and disruptive. Is early detection best?

It’s key. The difference between early detection and late can be life and death. When detected early, prostate cancer survival rates are better than 98 per cent. Finding it late, those survival rates drop to below 26 per cent.

How often should we get tested?

It makes me happy to think that my face might encourage a man to get his prostate checked! Firstly, you should be talking to your doctor about whether testing is right for you. PSA testing determines the concentration of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) in the blood and is the primary method of testing.

What are some of the achievements of Movember since it began?

Okay, here’s some heart-warming facts: over the past 15 years, Movember has funded more than 1,200 men’s health projects globally in the areas of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. They’ve established the largest global alliance of researchers and health experts dedicated to men’s health. Until the Movember Foundation, this work wasn’t happening in a globally coordinated way and, in many cases, it simply wasn’t happening at all.

What does Dolly have in store for 2019?

I’m premiering a brand-new show for the Midsumma Festival about Dolly Parton called Parton Me. I’ll be taking that on tour throughout the year. I’m also heading to Adelaide and Perth for Fringe with Dolly Diamond’s Bl*nkety Bl*nks, with a season at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. That should keep me out of trouble for at least 6 months!

Finally, which bros have the best mos?

I spent many a night wishing for Tom Selleck to invade my personal space with his Magnum. Check out James Franco, Jamie Dornan and Bradley Cooper with a mo – so hot! I like a dark mo to go, you know – especially when it’s being grown for a good cause.