Fact Service March 2010

Issue 9

Prostate cancer effort

March is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the CWU communications workers’ union is making a big push to inform its membership of the disease.

Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the UK, accounting for almost a quarter of all male cancers. Each year, nearly 35,000 men are diagnosed and more than 10,000 die from the disease.

Dave Joyce, national health and safety officer, said: “Men are less likely to go to their doctor with cancer symptoms and are more reluctant to visit the doctor and monitor themselves for signs of illness.

"One in 3 men is knowledgeable about breast cancer, but only one in 10 men is familiar with the signs and symptoms of prostate and testicular cancers.”

Most men with early prostate cancer are diagnosed because they have problems with bladder habits.

www.cwu.org/news/archive/prostate-cancer-awareness-month-march-2010-raising-awareness-of-prostate-cancer-quot-don-t-let-prostrate-cancer-hide-quot.html