IRISH MEN ARE more likely than Irish women to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and are being offered free health checks as part of a new health campaign.
The Blue September campaign says that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 3 men in Ireland will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and are urging men to start facing up to that risk.
VHI healthcare is supporting the international campaign which is in its third year here and says that it has seen an increase in the treatment of male specific cancers amongst its customers over the past few years.
The insurer says that treatment for prostate cancer for example has increased by 16 per cent in the past five years makes up 94 per cent of its male cancer claims.
According to the most recent figures from the national cancer registry, 3,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in Ireland making it the most common form of cancer in the country after non-melanoma skin cancer.
As part of the Blue September campaign VHI is providing 200 free health consultations to men who talk about cancer concerns they may have. VHI’s medical director Dr Bernadette Carr outlines the importance of early detection:
“After prevention, early detection of cancer is the key to successful treatment. Awareness of the symptoms and signs of common cancers, self-examination for testicular cancer and seeking medical advice for anything untoward could go a long way to reducing the cancer mortality rate in men in Ireland.
To find out more Blue September, check out the website or follow the group on Facebook and Twitter at@BlueSeptIreland.
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