Research shows men are still dangerously ignorant about male cancers

2 June 1998

Men still know more about breast cancer than they do about cancer of the testes or prostate, yet both are on the increase, and prostate cancer is predicted to overtake both breast and lung as the most common cancer in the UK within the next 20 years.

80% of men know nothing about the PSA test for prostate cancer or the dilemmas with which a positive test would present them.

So revealed a MORI poll carried out for The Institute of Cancer Research presented today at the start of everyman male cancer awareness month. The aim of the survey was to examine men's awareness of male cancers and it is the first research of its kind to address the big issues associated with prostate cancer screening, which has been introduced nationally in the USA, leading to an epidemic of diagnosis.

There was some encouraging news, which showed that overall awareness of prostate and testicular cancer was up by 5 percentage points from 1995.

However only 1 in 5 men (19%) said they knew "a great deal/a fair amount" about both forms of the disease. This compares with 51% for heart disease, 46% for lung cancer and 29% for breast cancer.

Although prostate cancer affects men mostly over the age of 45, 74% of men in that age range knew "a little/nothing" about the disease. Men aged under 45 scored even lower - 84%.

Since many men leave it too late to seek treatment, and prostate cancer can occur in men as young as 45, awareness should be raised among this younger group too.

"Despite some progress over the past 3 years, men remain largely ignorant and confused about their health in general, and about prostate and testicular cancer in particular", said Professor Colin Cooper of the ICR.

"While men continue to remain embarrassed and reluctant to take action, accurate and readily available information and advice is essential".

Questions moved on to the PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test for prostate cancer. 8 in 10 men had never heard of it. The figures were very high amongst men aged 45+ - 84%. And even in the much older age group of 65+ who are even more at risk, 81% knew nothing about the test.

Only 1 in 5 men who PSA test positive will go on to develop life threatening prostate cancer. Those who do have a positive result are faced with the dilemma of whether to wait and see whether the disease progresses into the lethal form, or to have treatment straight away which carries a 92% chance of leaving them impotent or incontinent. Many men in the USA have gone for the treatment option [need fig here].

Men in the MORI survey were asked whether they would take the test in the first place given its unreliability. Over one third of men said they would be "certain/very likely" to have the test. So if the government were to introduce PSA screening nationally in this country they would have some support from the population.

Around one in three (32%) said they would be "certain/very likely" to have surgery if they had a positive PSA test result.

Launched in September 1997, the ICR's everyman campaign aims to raise awareness and funding for prostate cancer and testicular cancer and to establish the UK's first dedicated male cancer research centre.

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