Seize the Mo-ment – why Movember matters

The three Movember health themes are three major health issues affecting men and their families. Early detection and intervention are key across the board, and can make a huge difference in terms of quality of life, treatment options, and ultimately survival rates.

• 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 when it comes to early cancer detection and survival rates. 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. We’re sitting on a ticking time bomb when it comes to cancer, that we’re going to have to unpick over the next few years. Businesses have the opportunity to be part of the solution, and this is exactly where things like health assessments can play their part.”

Health assessments help businesses support health and wellbeing proactively rather than reactively – helping to plug the prevention gap. The way they’re designed and delivered means they work for entire workforces – and even for people who wouldn’t necessarily engage with other health initiatives.

Dr Donati continues: “The fact is that many men feel better about growing a moustache than they do talking about their health directly. In the same way, they also feel better about popping to a local hotel in their lunch hour for a health MOT than they would phoning their GP, talking to a receptionist, booking an appointment and discussing their health with their GP.

“What’s more, we know that people are genuinely inspired to take their health more seriously after their health assessments - even if nothing serious is flagged up. 42% go on to take the result to their GP and 5% takes it to private GP, but 38% go on to lose weight, 32% adopt a healthier diet and 14% go on to drink less alcohol. All of those are factors in improving both physical and mental health, and all of them are actions that are going to benefit workplaces as well as individuals. ”

Last year, Bluecrest Wellness also introduced a new early cancer risk test, which covers stomach, kidney and bowel cancer, a cervical cancer risk HPV test for women, and a prostate cancer risk PSA test for men. Available to the over 40s, 28% of businesses now buy the add-on for employees as part of their Bluecrest Wellness package, and in the last 12 months we’ve found more than 265 red flags. Our GPs have helped those people understand the results, and go on to take further action.

Dr Donati concludes: “We’ve helped hundreds of men find peace of mind, take control of their health, and spot potential issues early. Movember matters because men’s health matters, prevention matters - and it matters now more than ever. I’m looking forward to seeing the moustaches this November, and to seeing more men come forward and take more action to take care of themselves.”

If you’d like to know more about Bluecrest Wellness, our early cancer add-on, or how we can help shape preventative health strategies, please do get in touch.

Brokers: Jason Morris- jmorris@bluecrestwellness.com

Businesses: businessdevelopment@bluecrestwellness.com