Almost half of men fail to check for cancer symptoms

Many men are not regularly checking themselves for symptoms of the most common cancers, including prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

The results of a survey by grooming business Gillette and men’s health charity The Movember Foundation, published to coincide with Men’s Health Week this week, found that 40% of men had not checked for signs of testicular cancer at all and 43% said they did not check themselves regularly.

A fifth of men did not know what to look for when checking themselves for signs of testicular cancer and almost half were not aware of the symptoms of prostate cancer. Only 40% said they checked themselves for testicular cancer every month as recommended.

The survey of 1,000 men also found that three-quarters delayed visiting their GP when showing symptoms of an illness. A fifth said they had avoided making a medical appointment because their concern was related to an intimate area.

Anne-Cecile Berthier, country director for the UK & Europe at The Movember Foundation, said there was still a long way to go before men were “fully engaged” with their health.

“The state of men’s health is in crisis, too many men are unaware of the health risks they face and the actions required to stay mentally and physically well.

“Our mission is to stop men dying too young. This means funding research into prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. It also means equipping men with the facts and information so that they can take action on their health,” explained Berthier.

A quarter of men admitted they did not have time to attend a doctor’s appointment and one in five claimed they were healthy, so did not feel they needed to get their concerns checked professionally.

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More than a third received a letter from their GP inviting them to a health check, but a quarter of did not act on it.

A separate poll by Hidden Hearing earlier this year found that the average person waited five months before seeking professional advice about a health concern.