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Check 'em - male cancers
 
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Don't Die of Embarrassment! Be Aware

LONDON , July 5/PRNewswire/ -- - Celebrity DVD and Website Call on Men to 'Check-em'

Launching on July 7th 2005, in support of the Everyman campaign, 'Check-em', is a celebrity-backed free DVD and website aiming to get men to look out for the early signs of male cancers.

Prostate cancer kills one man every hour in the UK and the incidence of testicular cancer has risen dramatically over the past 20 years. Yet many men are unaware of the signs and symptoms of these cancers, and reluctant to go to their doctors if they do find something wrong.

"Research has shown that most men feel they are less informed about cancer than women and are often unaware of the symptoms of the disease.    According to an Everyman survey, alarmingly only 19% of men regularly check themselves for testicular cancer," says Philip Black, Director of Fundraising at The Institute of Cancer Research, which runs the Everyman campaign. "Yet if the disease is caught early, the treatment success rate is 99%.

As the name suggests, Check-em aims to get men to check for changes such as lumps, enlargement or heaviness in the testicles, or difficulty, delays or pain or blood when urinating.

The Check-em website - www.check-em.com - provides information on male cancers, what to look out for, case studies of people who have had male cancers, and sources of support. There is also a competitions page with a wide range of prizes up for grabs over the coming year. The website is complemented by a free DVD featuring Jason Cundy, Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr and Wicked Willie, amongst many others.

The Check-em DVD has been produced by St James's House to support the Everyman campaign, to raise awareness of male cancers and to fund vital research in this area.

The idea is to promote a serious educational message to men - and the women in their lives - in an accessible and entertaining way. The DVD and website are backed by a large number of sponsors from the health, public and corporate sectors.

For details of how to get hold of a copy, please visit www.check-em.com

Notes

- There are around 30,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed each year and this figure is on the increase. Prostate cancer has overtaken lung cancer to be the most common cancer in men.

-  Testicular cancer is the most common cancer amongst young men aged between 15-45 and the incidence has risen dramatically in the last 20 years. There are around 2,000 cases diagnosed each year.

 

MACMILLAN SUPPORTS CHECK-EM!

Macmillan Cancer Relief, the UK 's leading cancer care charity is proud to be supporting this vital project.

Check-em aims to raise awareness of prostate, testicular and skin cancer in particular. As the slogan suggests, men are being urged to keep a check on their health so they can recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer.   Men visit their GP less than women do¹ and eight out of 10 men will only visit their GP as a last resort² so the aim of Check-em is to change this and to encourage men to be more health aware.

A DVD and website have been produced to provide up-to-the-minute cancer information. The free DVD contains short film clips, interviews and celebrity endorsements from Jimmy Carr and Jason Cundy. Issues such as knowing what to look out for, what to expect if you are diagnosed and where to go for help and support are also available on the DVD and website, as well as jokes and competitions.

Check-em! aims to raise a minimum of £50,000 for Everyman to help fund vital research into male cancers. For more information go to the Check-em website which can be found at www.check-em.com

Men wanting cancer information and support or a free copy of 'Men and Cancer', a booklet produced by Macmillan about the help available specifically for men, should call the Macmillan CancerLine (Monday - Friday, 9.00am ? 6.00pm ) on freephone: 0808 808 2020, email: cancerline@macmillan.org.uk; or log on to www.macmillan.org.uk.

Notes

1.      Men's Usage of the Health Service, Consultation with GP by gender, 1999, General Household Survey, Office for National Statistics.

2.      Denyer S, (1998).

3.      Macmillan Cancer Relief provides the expert care and emotional support that makes a real difference to people living with cancer. We offer a range of innovative cancer services and are at the heart of improving cancer care throughout the UK.For cancer information and support, contact the Macmillan

CancerLine (Monday ? Friday, 9.00am ? 6.00pm ) by freephone: 0808 808 2020, textphone: 0808 808 0121 or email: cancerline@macmillan.org.uk; or log on to www.macmillan.org.uk. We are campaigning to get a better financial deal for people dealing with cancer. Visit http://www.macmillan.org.uk/abetterdeal or call 0800 500 800 for more information about our Better Deal campaign.

Help Macmillan get a better financial deal for people dealing with cancer.

Visit http://www.macmillan.org.uk/abetterdeal or call 0800 500 800 for more information about our campaign.

 (7/7/05)

 

 

 

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