Men ignore cancer warning signs, says survey

Half of UK men admit that they would delay going to the doctor if they developed warning signs of cancer, according to a survey carried out for Cancer Research UK.

The survey, released for the launch of Cancer Research UK's Man Alive campaign today, found that a considerable proportion of the male population could be compromising their health because of a reluctance to visit GP surgeries. Cancer now kills more men in the UK than any other condition, including heart disease.

Only 52% of men questioned for the poll said they would immediately seek medical help if they found traces of blood in their stool. This is one of the commonest symptoms of bowel cancer, a disease that affects 19,000 UK men each year.

Younger men were most likely to cite embarrassment as a reason to delay getting their symptoms checked, whereas those in the 45+ age group were concerned about what the doctor might find as the result of an examination.

There were around 79,800 deaths from cancer and around 79,500 deaths from heart disease among men in the UK in 2001. This compares to 84,250 male deaths from cancer and 100,600 from heart disease 10 years ago. Overall deaths from cancer have fallen by 15 per cent in the last decade. But deaths from heart disease have dropped by 30 per cent, mainly due to the impact of lifestyle changes and cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Cancer Research UK's Man Alive campaign aims to promote greater awareness of the symptoms of cancers that affect men, including lung, bowel, prostate and testicular cancer.

Campaign supporter and football legend Denis Law, who recently underwent successful treatment for prostate cancer, said the survey's findings confirm his own experience.

He said: "I remember being called in to see my urologist for the results of the biopsy. As soon as he mentioned the word 'cancer', I went numb.

"Later on, I felt shocked and isolated. Months earlier, I hadn't even known I was ill. Looking back, I should have seen my doctor earlier but I think men are like that; we don't like to face up to things. I've always been fit and I guess I just put my problems down to getting older. I buried my head in the sand."

Dr Richard Sullivan, Head of Clinical Programmes at Cancer Research UK, said: "I would encourage all men to be aware what's normal for them and to see their GP if they are experiencing any health problems. Usually, symptoms turn out not to be caused by cancer. However, an early cancer diagnosis ensures all treatment options are available which can help to improve the outcome."

Celebrities supporting Man Alive 2004 include Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Sir Bobby Robson and Denis Law.

(gmcg)