Remember remember the month of Movember

• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men

• 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime

• More than 52,000 men are diagnosed in the UK every year

• Symptoms include needing to wee more often, especially at night, having to rush to the loo, straining or taking a long time to wee, weak flow, or blood in the urine or semen

• Caught at Stage 1 (contained within the prostate gland) almost 100% of people will survive their prostate cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis

• At Stage 4 (where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body) only 50% of people will survive for 5 years or more.

• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men

• There are around 2,400 new testicular cancer cases in the UK every year

• Symptoms include a painless swelling or lump in the testicles, a change in the shape or texture of the scrotum, an increase in firmness of a testicle, or pain that can come and go

• The earlier you catch testicular cancer the easier it is to treat, and 95% of men will survive testicular cancer for 5 or more years after a diagnosis

• If the cancer has had time to spread, for instance to the liver or brain, that can go down to 65% of men who will survive for 5 years or more.

• 3 out of 4 people who take their lives are men, making suicide the leading cause of death for men under 50 in England and Wales • Men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women – accounting for only 36% of NHS referrals • Men are more likely than women to go missing, sleep rough, become dependent on alcohol and use drugs to cope with their mental health issues • 46% of men are too embarrassed or ashamed to talk about their mental health at work.

Dr Donati explains: “Clearly, early detection and diagnosis is incredibly important when it comes to cancer. 63% of cancers diagnosed via early screening processes are diagnosed at stage 1, when they are easier to treat and outcomes are better. Unfortunately the UK lags behind other countries with similar health systems. We also lag behind when it comes to mental health, too. The pandemic has only exacerbated the gap.

“Since March 2020 it’s estimated that 6 million fewer diagnostic tests were carried out by the NHS. We know we’ve missed opportunities to intervene early, and that there are people in the community who have gone undiagnosed.

“Campaigns like Movember raise awareness, and hopefully help more people think about their health and come forward with symptoms.”

Here’s 5 things you can do for Movember:

1. Grow a Mo – and donate your sponsorship money

Growing your own moustache is the classic Movember move, and the Movember website has all the tips and tools you need to set up a Mo space and start fundraising.

All donations go to help raise more awareness of men’s health issues, and invest in men’s health initiatives and projects across the globe. Find out more here.

2. Mo-ve your body – and raise more money

This year Movember are also encouraging people to run, walk or cycle 60km – remembering the 60 men lost to suicide around the world every hour of every day. It’s a great way to raise funds AND your fitness levels before Christmas!

3. Mo like a pro - get your workplace involved

Doing Movember at work is not only a great way to raise awareness, but a great way to bring people together. It boosts morale and health, and could be a win-win for everyone.

Talk to your HR department to see if you can fundraise at work, host a Mo-ment event, or use the resource pack for intranet articles and posters you can put up to remind people of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and poor mental health.

4. Mo-ve your lips - start conversations

Start talking about your health more openly – including the embarrassing and vulnerable bits. Suffering or worrying in silence is literally killing men, and you can be part of the solution just by normalising talking about your own health, and your own feelings.

5. Mo/Go for your Bluecrest Healthcheck

If you do nothing else for Movember, book in for your annual Bluecrest Wellness health assessment. And if you’ve already been this year – shout about it, and encourage those around you to go for theirs, too!

Your company have made a Bluecrest Wellness health assessment available to you to give you a body MOT, put you in charge of your own health, and ahead of the game. It can give you some peace of mind, inspire you to make lifestyle changes, and even help you spot potential issues nice and early.

We’ve even got an early cancer add-on that includes checks for stomach, liver, kidney and bowel cancer, as well as a PSA test for prostate cancer.

It’s easy, it’s local, it’s quick, it’s pretty much painless - and ultimately it could save your life.