Fathers and Sons Encouraged to Make Each Other Aware of the Facts About Male Cancer

[Scottish Mag 3]

The Everyman Male Cancer Campaign, The FA and The PFA are calling upon fathers and sons to make each other aware of the facts about prostate and testicular cancer as a new survey conducted by Everyman has revealed that only 19% of men in the UK choose to regularly talk to their father about health matters and a staggering 98% would confide in someone else first.

 

In conjunction with the ‘Keep Your Eye on the Ball’ awareness fortnight, which launches on Sunday 4th March and aims to make the football community more aware of the signs and symptoms of male cancers, the campaign is calling upon footie fans and players to take notice of more than just the balls on the pitch.

 

The survey results also revealed that of the 49% of men questioned who said they were aware of the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer, only 8% of these said a parent or other relative made them aware. The majority (around 65%) admitted to being made aware as a result of health campaigns.

 

With testicular cancer affecting younger men aged usually in the 15 – 45 age bracket and prostate cancer affecting older men over the age of 50, male cancers can affect men at all stages of their lives. Also, men with a brother or father who have developed prostate or testicular cancer have an increased risk of developing the disease themselves.

 

"Having a father, brother or son who has had testicular cancer increases the risk of getting the disease. If you have a brother with testicular cancer your risk is almost 10 times that of a man without a family history of the disease. This increased risk is higher than for most other types which very rarely exceed four times. With prostate cancer, men with a brother or father who developed the disease at a young age also have an increased risk.” commented Dr Elizabeth Rapley, a testicular cancer specialist at The Institute of Cancer Research, “But its not just men within these families that need to be aware, its all men and giving them the information they need and want to raise awareness to themselves and the men around them is important.”

 

With this in mind, The FA, The PFA and Everyman have produced a new set of leaflets, posters and adverts for football Clubs and Associations to use to get the message out to men.

 

Simone Pound from The PFA commented, “The survey demonstrates that by working together we can increase awareness around health issues in particular male cancers. If caught early enough testicular cancer is curable which is why we want players and supporters to check themselves for irregular lumps. Fathers and sons enjoy watching and playing football together – by taking care of each other’s health they can also help to save lives.”

 

“Many fathers and sons share a common interest in football and Keep Your Eye on the Ball is all about using the power of football to make more men of all ages aware of the vital facts about male cancer.” commented Phil Smith, Head of Public Affairs at The FA, “The survey results show health campaigns like Keep Your Eye on the Ball are doing a lot to raise awareness, which is great news, but there is still more we need to be doing to encourage men to find out the facts.”

 

Campaign ambassador and England Team Senior Goal Keeping Coach Ray Clemence, who has suffered from prostate cancer, commented "The footballing community is not immune to the threat of male cancers, which is why it is important that men know the facts about testicular and prostate cancer."

 

Keep Your Eye on The Ball was set-up over five years ago in response to low awareness levels and after several high profile players including Jason Cundy, Alan Stubbs and Neil Harris were diagnosed with testicular cancer. Each year an awareness fortnight is held (which is running from 4th – 18th March) where Clubs and Associations are encouraged to help raise awareness to fans by displaying posters, information leaflets and adverts in match-day programmes. Over 70 league Clubs and Associations are participating in the campaign this year including Arsenal, Bolton, Tottenham and Manchester United.

 

In the time it takes to play one 90 minute game of football, more than one man in the UK will have died of prostate cancer and it has now overtaken lung cancer to become the UK’s most common cancer diagnosed in men.

 

Testicular cancer affects around 2,000 men a year in the UK. Thanks to advances made at The Everyman Centre - Europe’s first and only research centre dedicated to male cancer and part of The Institute of Cancer Research - testicular cancer is 99% curable if caught early enough. That’s why it is important to make men aware of the signs and symptoms to look out for as early diagnosis can save lives.

[luckyluke 2]

Information about prostate cancer including signs and symptoms:

 

http://www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/info/info.asp

[GeordieMessiah 2]

Still remains a relatively taboo subject for many men. I can only say from very recent personal experience that it is far better to get yourself properly educated on the issues and learning to check yourself regularly and properly, than have to go through the trauma that can result from ignoring the issue completely.

[Guest Toplass-101]

checkemlads.com

[Tom 14023]

Good call on the links ect.

[Scottish Mag 3]

Still remains a relatively taboo subject for many men.

 

Aye and I wish that wasn't the case. I am currently working on a project to hopefully raise some more awareness and we are looking into getting registered as an charity. I have a few other things on the go at the minute whoever and its finding the amount of time that will be needed if we go ahead with it that could prove to be a problem.

[Zathras 296]

The amount of publicity that it gets compared with breast cancer is frankly scanalous.

[Tom 14023]

Like shite.

[Scottish Mag 3]

Like shite.

 

[luckyluke 2]

Like shite.

 

 

One of his more interesting posts tbf.