Male Cancer Awareness
Men are dying of ignorance in Wales and are 70% more likely than women to die from cancer.
June is Male Cancer Awareness Month and Tenovus have teamed up with John Hartson, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2009, to launch Tackle It! The campaign will raise awareness of cancer and encourage more men to engage with their health services and GP's when they have any concerns rather that leaving it too late.
Claudia McVie, Chief Executive of Tenovus said;
"Every year around 8000 men are diagnosed with cancer, that's over 22 men every day in Wales alone, resulting in 5,000 deaths.
Around half of all cancers can be prevented by making better lifestyle choices, but since men are more likely to be smokers, drink more alcohol and tend to eat worse diets, cancer is now more common in men than in women. Also men are less likely to seek medical advice if they suspect something is wrong and potentially miss out on vital early treatment. This lack of early diagnosis is resulting in men dying of ignorance."
Someone who knows this fact all too well is Wales Football legend John Hartson who has himself fought an extremely tough battle with testicular cancer, which is the most common cancer in men in Wales between the ages of 15-44 and also 100% curable if caught early enough.
John Hartson said,
"It's very important for men and teenagers to check themselves regularly and if they are worried should then go and get their local GP to take a look. I for one and thousands more ignore the signs and this is when there is a massive danger that the cancer can spread and this is what happened to me."
Prostate, lung and bowel account for over half (53%) of all male cases of cancer with lung cancer being the most common cause of death, more than prostate and bowel combined.
It is vital that men contact their GP's if they have any symptoms or concerns. For more information, advice and support please call Tenovus Cancer Support Line free on 0808 808 1010
Join Tenovus to help tackle male cancer in Wales by calling 02920 768 850 or following us on Twitter or joining our Facebook group Tackle it!
Tackle It!
To help us learn more about men's understanding of male cancer, we would be extremely grateful if you could complete the questionnaire below:
