|
MEN ARE DODGING THE
DOCTOR WHEN CANCER SYMPTOMS APPEAR
HALF of
UK
men admit they would delay going to the doctor if they developed
warning signs of cancer.
A survey* specially commissioned to launch Cancer Research
UK
’s Man Alive
campaign reveals that a considerable
proportion of the male
population could be compromising
their health because of a reluctance to
visit GP surgeries.
Only 52 per cent of men questioned for the poll said they would
immediately
seek medical help if they found
traces of blood in their stool. This
is one
of the commonest symptoms of bowel
cancer1, a disease that affects 19,000
UK
men each year.
Younger men were most likely to cite embarrassment as a reason to delay
getting their symptoms checked,
whereas those in the 45+ age group were
concerned about what the doctor
might find as the result of an examination.
Lack of time was a
factor across all groups.
The findings are particularly concerning given that cancer now kills
more
men in the
UK
than any other condition, including heart disease.2
A third of men polled could recall a time when their female partners had
convinced them to make a doctor’s
appointment when they did not really want
to.
Cancer Research
UK
’s Man Alive campaign aims to promote greater awareness of
the symptoms of cancers that affect
men, including lung, bowel, prostate and
testicular cancer.
Campaign supporter and football legend Denis Law, who recently underwent
successful treatment for prostate
cancer, says the survey’s findings confirm
his own experience.
Law, one of the stars of Sir Matt Busby’s all-conquering
Manchester United
side in the 1960s, waited three
months to seek medical help after
experiencing problems with his
‘waterworks’.
When he eventually did seek help - after some encouragement from
his wife
Di -
he underwent tests, including a biopsy.
He recalls: “I remember being called in to see my urologist for the
results
of the biopsy. As soon as he
mentioned the word ‘cancer’, I went numb.
Later on, I felt shocked and isolated. Months earlier, I
hadn’t even known
I was ill. Looking back,
I should have seen my doctor earlier
but I think men are like that; we don’t
like to face up to things. I’ve
always been fit and I guess I just put my
problems down to getting older. I
buried my head in the sand.”
The 63-year-old Scot, who scored more than 200 goals for Manchester
United
and won 55 international caps,
underwent surgery.
“Fortunately the cancer was diagnosed in time for me to have the
widest
choice of treatment options
available. But I was told that if I had further
delayed seeking help surgery may not
have been an option and the outcome may
have been entirely different,”
says Law, who now receives regular check-ups.
Cancer Research
UK
runs a cancer information helpline, staffed by specialist
nurses. The majority of calls to the
service are from women, despite the
fact that cancer affects similar
numbers of men and women.
Julia Frater, one of the charity’s Senior Cancer Information Nurses,
says:
“Our experience
reflects the fact that men are reluctant to seek help if
they have a problem with their
health. We know that girlfriends and wives
are often instrumental in
encouraging their partners to get medical advice,
even going as far as making
appointments for them.”
Dr Richard Sullivan, Head of Clinical Programmes at Cancer Research
UK
,
says: “It is understandable that
many men are reluctant to visit their
doctor.
They are often less acquainted with GP surgeries than women.
Data
shows that British women under 45
are twice as likely to have visited their
GP over a given time period than men
in the same age group. Factors
like
childbirth and gynaecological
examinations mean women often face potentially
embarrassing situations earlier than
men and have to confront and overcome
these issues earlier in life.
“I would encourage all men to be aware what’s normal for them and to
see
their GP if they are experiencing
any health problems. Usually,
symptoms
turn out not to be caused by cancer.
However, an early cancer diagnosis
ensures all treatment options are
available which can help to improve the
outcome.”
For further information on Cancer Research
UK
’s Man Alive campaign visit
www.cancerresearchuk.org/manalive
Alternatively, a free
user-friendly information service for people with
cancer and their families is
available via CancerHelpUK at
www.cancerhelp.org.uk
Notes
*Survey conducted by
NOP World, face to face, between
April 1-6 2004
, among
1,888 adults aged 16+. Weighting was
applied to the data to bring it in line
with national profiles.
Prostate cancer
recently overtook lung cancer to become the most commonly
diagnosed cancer in
UK
men with more than 27,000 new cases a year,
accounting for more than 9,900
deaths. Recent high profile cases include
comedian Bob Monkhouse, who died in
December aged 75;
US
Secretary of State
Colin Powell, 66, who returned to
work within weeks of undergoing surgery in
December; and actor Robert De Niro,
who was successfully treated in October.
The disease normally
affects older men, with nine out of 10 cases occurring
in the over-50 age group.
Bowel cancer affects
nearly 19,000 men in the
UK
each year. Arguably one of
the most famous people to have been
diagnosed with the disease was
England
’s
1966 World Cup winning captain,
Bobby Moore, who died in 1993 at the age of
51. Bobby’s widow, Stephanie Moore
MBE set up the Bobby Moore Fund for
Cancer Research
UK
as a lasting tribute to her husband. Money raised by the
fund is directed into finding a cure
for bowel cancer, raising awareness of
the disease and highlighting the
importance of preventative measures, such
as healthy eating. Visit
www.cancerresearchuk.org/bobbymoorefund
Testicular cancer is relatively rare but is the most common cancer in
men
aged 15-44. Each year, there are
around 2,000 new cases in the
UK
.
Testicular cancer
responds particularly well to treatment if caught early,
and more than nine out of 10
patients are cured. A number of footballers
have survived the disease, including
Everton defender Alan Stubbs.
There were around
79,800 deaths from cancer and around 79,500 deaths from
heart disease among men in the
UK
in 2001. This compares to 84,250 male
deaths from cancer and 100,600 from
heart disease 10 years ago. Overall
deaths from cancer have fallen by 15
per cent in the last decade. But deaths
from heart disease have dropped by
30 per cent, mainly due to the impact of
lifestyle changes and
cholesterol-lowering drugs.
YOUNG SINGLE MEN
IGNORANT OF CANCER RISK
Young, single men are most ignorant of testicular cancer according to
latest research out today despite the fact
they are more at risk.
A TNS Omnibus study for Macmillan Cancer Relief has found that only a
quarter of all men check themselves for
signs of testicular cancer at least
once a month and that 50 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds never check themselves
at all. Single men were consistently less likely to check themselves
for testicular cancer and could spot fewer symptoms compared to married
men. However, of married men, only around one in 10 wives helped them
check for cancer.
The study also found that young, single men were least concerned about
cancer with just one in 10 who reported
being very concerned. The good news
is that almost three quarters of men recognised at least one symptom of
testicular cancer. Men in the South were least likely to recognise any
symptoms compared to those in the North or
Midlands
and men in the North were more likely
to check themselves for testicular cancer.
Peter Cardy, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Relief, says,
"These figures are extremely
worrying since young men are most at risk of testicular
cancer. I know us blokes are notoriously bad at thinking about o
ur
health until it's too late. As testicular cancer is treatable if caught
early, we're urging all men, particularly younger men, to be aware of
the symptoms and to check themselves at least once a month. They should,
quite literally, take their health in their hands!"
Testicular cancer primarily affects 15 to 44 year olds and is the most
common cancer amongst men in this age group.
The number of cases has doubled in
the last 25 years and there are around 2,000 cases a year. The symptoms
for testicular cancer include:-
-
a painless lump or swelling in either testicle
-
enlargement of the testicle
-
a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
-
pain or discomfort in the testicle or scrotum
Anyone concerned about testicular cancer, should visit their GP or for
more information, please call the Macmillan
CancerLine free on 0808 808 2020.
(26/5/04)
|
