Order of Australia recipient Stephen Callister talks about how breaking down the stigma of prostate cancer has saved countless lives
BY ALEX DRISCOLL
Stephen Callister was luckier than many after his prostate cancer diagnosis. Around 3,900 men in Australia die each year from the disease; however, if caught early, the survival rate from prostate cancer is 96%, with Stephen being one of those lucky enough to catch it early.
“I’ve lived a pretty normal life for 20 years after my diagnosis,” Stephen stated. “There are a lot of men who do have battles, and they succumb to those battles,” said the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia (PCFA) chairman.
Until this point, his life had been relatively normal, running an import wholesale company with his wife and raising his daughters on the North Shore. When he was 54, things started to change. A routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test uncovered cancer, but Stephen was able to be treated and ‘effectively cured;’ though he understands that there is still ‘prostate cancer rolling around in my body,’ a reality that means he still gets checked regularly.
It was this diagnosis, however, that pushed the already accomplished North Shore businessman down a new path in life. A year after his diagnosis in 2005, Stephen stepped into the role of convenor of St Vincent’s Prostate Cancer Support Group in St Leonards.
Stephen, inspired by his successful treatment, continued on this new journey. He became involved with the PCFA after a simple conversation with his surgeon, telling him that ‘if there’s a job I can help you with or anything you want me to do give me a bell’ – and he gave Stephen a job.
In 2009 he became chairman of PCFA’s marketing and fundraising committee, before he became chairman in November 2018.
Though he admits he ‘probably could have just gone back into society,’ his desire to help others achieve the positive outcome he did inspired him to take on a new challenge. Though his prostate cancer diagnosis did not change his life in the way it does for many, it served as a turning point, encouraging Stephen to take the plunge into the world of public service.
Since joining the PCFA, Stephen has worked hard not only to increase the chances of positive outcomes for those diagnosed with prostate cancer, but also to increase general awareness surrounding the disease. And the results have started to speak for themselves.
“Prostate cancer is now the number one diagnosed cancer in Australia, regardless of gender,” Stephen proudly highlighted. “And that’s come about for several reasons. One is because of increased awareness, which is what PCFA does, decreasing the stigma surrounding what has in the past been seen as an embarrassing procedure.”
The work of Stephen and the PCFA has helped to create that promising 96% survival rate, up from 70% 40 years ago. The PCFA has also provided $60 million of funds to research during Stephen’s tenure.
For his services to public health, in particular men’s health, Stephen was named a member of the Order of Australia in January 2024. Stephen said he was ‘was proud and honoured to get the award.’
If there is any take-home message Stephen wishes to get out there, it’s to know when you should get tested and not put it off. “There are guidelines that are pretty specific,” Stephen says. “After the age of 50, it is recommended you should take a PSA at least every two years.” That age drops to 40 for anyone who has a family history of prostate cancer.
Australian of the Year 2025 awards will be announced on 25 January.
