Guardian
Young men 'failing to check for cancer'
Paul Stephenson and agencies
Monday May 24, 2004
Half of young men never check themselves for possible symptoms of testicular cancer, despite being most at risk of the disease, according to a survey for Macmillan Cancer Relief.
The survey of more than 800 men found 50% never examine themselves for the symptoms of testicular cancer, and only 24% checked themselves for lumps and other signs at least once a month.
Of those aged 16 to 24, only 19% were likely to examine themselves once a month.
Testicular cancer mostly affects those aged 15 to 44 and is the most common cancer among men in this age group. Numbers diagnosed with the cancer have doubled in the last 25 years, with around 2,000 new cases every year.
Macmillan Cancer Relief's chief executive, Peter Cardy, said: "These figures are extremely worrying since young men are most at risk of testicular cancer. 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."
The symptoms of testicular cancer include a painless lump or swelling in either testicle, enlargement of the testicle, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, and pain or discomfort in the testicle or scrotum.
Macmillan Cancer Relief urged any men concerned about testicular cancer to visit their GP for more information or call the charity's helpline on 0808 808 2020.
The survey, ahead of increased campaigning on male cancers next month, came as new research out today highlighted an increase in male breast cancer rates.
Although breast cancer among men remains a tiny risk, the number of cases in the United States has gone up 26% in the last 25 years, according to the largest study so far on the disease. The survey, of more than 2,500 American men with the disease between 1973 and 1998, is published in the online version of Cancer, the American Cancer Society's journal.
US male breast cancer rates rose from 8.6 cases per 1 million men in the 1970s to 10.8 cases per 1 million in the 1990s. However, the increase was much smaller than that for women, who saw a 52 % increase in breast cancer cases.
According to the American Cancer Society's epidemiology chief, Dr Michael Thun, the results of the survey could indicate obesity as a possible cause for breast cancer in both sexes. This is because the increased incidence in men cannot be related to the traditional reasons for the rise of female breast cancer, such as increased mammography and use of postmenopausal hormones such as oestrogen, linked to breast cancer.
However, obesity is increasing in both sexes in the US, and fat tissue produces oestrogen, said Dr Thun.
Men should see a doctor if they had a lump in the breast, or discharge or bleeding from a nipple.
