6 days ago
Men not seeking support until cancer is incurable
Too many men are seeking support with cancer only when it has become incurable, a charity has said.
Maggie's, the cancer support charity, gave its backing to The Telegraph's campaign for targeted prostate cancer screening.
Its experts said on Monday that although men made up about half the cancer diagnoses in the UK, they were much more likely than women to end up seeking support for the disease when it was incurable.
Maggie's 24 centres across the UK provide help for those with all types of cancer, with around one third of visits from men.
But of men who do seek support, 37 per cent are living with incurable cancer, compared with 31 per cent of women, new data show.
The charity said the imbalance suggests men are much more likely to delay seeking help and only present with more advanced symptoms.
It added that this could, in part, be due to men being diagnosed only when their cancer has already spread, a trend which could be addressed by routine screening.
Health advisers are currently considering the evidence for the introduction of such screening, which could mean tests being offered to those with an increased risk of the disease.
Maggie's, which was founded by Maggie Keswick Jencks – a writer, gardener and designer who wanted to create a better place for people to receive support after her own experiences when diagnosed with breast cancer – said its centres mostly see men with cancer at a later stage, presenting with more significant side-effects, particularly prostate cancer treatment side-effects.
These range from mood changes and hot flushes to muscle loss, erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
Dame Laura Lee, chief executive of Maggie's, said: 'Detecting cancer earlier means it is easier to treat, and people can avoid some of the more gruelling side-effects that come with aggressive treatments.
'Prostate cancer, despite being the most common form of the disease in the UK for men, also has one of the highest survival rates of any cancer when detected early enough.
'That's why we welcome The Telegraph's campaign to ensure more men have access to screening and are able to receive effective treatment quickly if cancer is detected.'
Maggie's offers free support from diagnosis through treatment and beyond, with the charity urging men reluctant to seek help to visit a centre to meet expert staff and access emotional and practical support for themselves and families.
Centres run specialist sessions including support groups, prehabilitation, rehab programmes and hormone‑ therapy workshops tailored for men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT )
Dame Laura added: 'Maggie's is here for people with cancer at any stage, from the moment of diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond, and we urge men who may be reluctant to seek support to drop in to one of our centres and speak to our expert staff about how we can help you, as well as your family and friends.
'To keep up with demand for our emotional and practical support, we are rapidly expanding our sessions for men with cancer, so please do come into your nearest centre for support.'
Research suggests that men tend to delay seeking help because of emotional barriers.
A survey found 42 per cent of men living with cancer had not asked for support. Among them, 21 per cent cited unwillingness to talk about feelings and 14 per cent felt embarrassment about seeking help.
The findings come as thousands of fundraisers gear up to take on the cycling challenge Tour de 4 on Sept 7.
The event is organised by Sir Chris Hoy, whose openness about his own incurable prostate cancer diagnosis has prompted thousands more men to get symptoms checked, with almost 5,000 more NHS referrals for urological cancer.
