Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer and accounts for over 20% of those diagnosed from 50 years of age. In Italy, one in 8 men is likely to get sick with this disease in the course of their life and each year there are about 37,000 new cases. Despite these numbers, early diagnosis does not keep pace as one would expect, but not due to health-hospital gaps, rather because of the male reluctance to undergo periodic checks.
While women, in fact, especially at the gynecological level, are naturally inclined to keep their eyes alert to their state of health, men often struggle more.
AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS
Aware of this, two Australian boys, to raise awareness on the issue, in 2003 gave life to the movement Movember, from the union of Mustache, mustache, and November, which every November, on the occasion of the month of prevention and treatment of male health, it promotes targeted initiatives.
Ideally, the pharmaceutical company took up the baton in Italy this year Janssen Oncology, carrying out the awareness campaign A mustache for prevention, promoted with the patronage of Europe Man e Umberto Veronesi Foundation. “Our reality works in six therapeutic areas but in the oncology area it pours the greatest investments in research”, explains the medical director, Loredana Bergamini. “In particular, with prostate cancer, our commitment is twofold: on the one hand we are developing new drugs and therefore new treatment options that are 100% effective but at the same time they impact as little as possible on the lives of the sick; on the other, we engage in awareness-raising, awareness and psychological support initiatives ».
MEN BLOCKED BY TABOO AND FEARS
A very important double front because despite research and scientific innovation have greatly improved oncological therapies, robotic surgery represents a revolution in the treatment of prostate cancer and the important innovations in the pharmacological field allow innovative and personalized approaches. in Italy there are still over 7,000 deaths a year from this pathology. And the biggest stumbling block seems to be the cultural one.
To confirm it too Bernardo Rocco, director Complex structure of Urology, University hospital of Modena and full professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. “Survival of this pathology is very high. L’International Cancer Institute he fixed it at 97.8% five years after diagnosis. However, this must happen in time, otherwise things get complicated. Patients often come to us specialists with discomfort such as prostatic hypertrophy, which very rarely have to do with the tumor, which instead at least in the early stages is almost always asymptomatic, and there they discover that they have this serious pathology of which they do not they were never worried before. ‘
A concern that, however, should have, especially after the age of 50, when the incidence levels soar. “If that doesn’t happen it’s because historically men have never been educated to turn to what might be called his gynecologist. The woman, besides being culturally more predisposed to take care of herself, has many biological appointments that require her to cross her path with this medical figure. I am thinking of the beginning of the fertile age, of contraception, of possible pregnancy and of menopause. For man this is not the case and the result is there for all to see ».
Not to mention that it is a strongly identifying area for the male gender, as Loredana Bergamini underlines: «The idea of feeling vulnerable and not invincible already places many of them in a situation of unease. Furthermore, prostate cancer, affecting the sexual dimension is perceived as an attack on virility ». This, while not absolutely true, generates feelings of fear that move them away from clinical controls, and that when the disease becomes clear, they turn into profound vulnerability.
INFORM WOMEN WHY TALK TO MEN
To support them in those difficult moments are very often women, companions, mothers, sisters or friends, to whom the information campaigns speak even before the directly interested ones, in the hope that they will then, relying on emotional closeness, convince them to contact a specialist to schedule an annual check-up.
Testimonial of the initiative of Janssen, the world champion in freediving, Umberto Pelizzari, chosen because, as he himself points out, “sport and prevention have many points of contact: correct prevention, in fact, requires constant checks over time and above all determination not to postpone them, despite the hectic life we often have. We men must overcome our limits, overcome embarrassment and fear, and undergo regular checks by the urologist because an early diagnosis can be decisive».
Among the important initiatives carried out by Janssen to break the taboo of the disease, also the Facebook page OncoVoice Community, a place where patients, doctors and family members can talk and exchange impressions, personal stories and emotions, in an environment ready to welcome anyone who feels the need to tell about themselves.
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