30% of men are not aware of main cancer symptoms

A THIRD of Irish men are not aware of the symptoms of the most common forms of male cancers, while more than half have done nothing in the past two years to detect signs of the disease.

The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) said health is “not a priority” for most men who tend to believe cancer is something that will never happen to them. Figures of ICS consumer research were published to launch the annual Men’s Cancer Action Week which aims to encourage men to get more health check-ups and reduce their risk of cancer.

The research showed that a third of men did not know the symptoms of prostate, bowel and lung cancers. Young urban dwellers were the least knowledgeable.

A third of men did not have a medical check-up in the past two years while more than half said they did nothing proactive in the past two years to detect cancer. The ICS said the findings show that men do not discuss their health concerns amongst their peers.

The ICS also published figures from the National Cancer Registry, showing that 2,407 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in 2005 and this is expected to rise to 3,786 cases by 2020, an increase of 57%. Bowel cancer is expected to rise from 1,248 cases in 2005 to 2,940 cases in 2020. Lung cancer cases among males are projected to rise from 1,092 to 1,209 by 2020.

ICS health promotion manager, Norma Cronin, said more than half of Irish men are overweight or obese and a quarter smoke.

“Men need to increase their daily intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, increase physical activity, maintain a healthy weight range and moderate the amount of alcohol they drink,” she said.

“They should also discuss their family history of cancer with their GP who will advise on screening.”

Men’s Cancer Action Week runs this week. Anyone concerned about cancer can contact the National Cancer Helpline free-phone number on 1800 200 700.