Men are more likely to get cancer than women and men are more likely to die from cancer than women. You can read more about the study on the Cancer Research Science Update blog and the Cancer Research UK Press Release page.
Why is there a difference? There isn’t a biological reason for this difference. There is some strength to the argument that men tend to smoke more and drink more than women, so if more men were to adopt a healthy lifestyle then these rates might fall.
Another argument that comes up time and time again is that men don’t go to the doctor. The earlier a cancer is found the easier it is to treat. Last year the Government (Department of Health) and Cancer Research UK set up a joint initiative called “National Awareness and Early Detection Initiative”, they want to find out why people put off going to the doctor with symptoms. Apparently 11,000 lives a year could be saved in the UK if we had the same survival factors as some countries in Europe.
One thing that has always confused me about these figures, is that in the UK, we have the NHS. It does not cost you money to visit your GP. This is not true for many other countries in Europe. Surely, people in the UK should be more inclined to go to their doctors and get symptoms checked out precisely because they don’t have to pay for every single consultation. Why do the figures not bear this out? Historically, it has taken longer for people in the UK to get treatment on the NHS, but the government assures us, that this has now changed. I’m not sure waiting times are as rosy as the official figures suggest, there are after all only so many consultants, radiologists and oncologists available.
What can we do? Many people know they shouldn’t smoke, they should excercie, they should eat five a day etc. Most people know they should get an abnormal mole or a new lump checked out. To find out about some signs and symptoms of cancer (and watch some short video clips) visit the “Spot Cancer Early” pages of health living on the Cancer Research UK website.
Cancer Research UK are trying to create new adverts specifically aimed at men. Will this work? I’m not sure. I don’t think there are any easy answers to this.
Part of the reluctance to get help must surely be down to fear, if you have seen someone in your own family or a friend go through a horrible time with cancer, you don’t want the same thing to happen to you. Cancer treatments have changed a lot in the past 30 years, but I’m not sure peoples attitudes have. Maybe an ad campaign that addresses this would be more effective than glossy leaflets with footballers or rugby stars?
What do you think would help convince people to go to their GP’s sooner rather than later?
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