Wednesday 3 October 2001
Men urged to take more responsibility for their own health in new campaign to raise awareness of testicular cancer
Members of the England team will be kicking off a new campaign on 3rd October to help spread the message to men about testicular cancer. The Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association have lent their support to The Institute of Cancer Research's "everyman" campaign and Imperial Cancer Research Fund's "Dads & Lads" campaign.
The campaign will last throughout the football season and will be called "Keep Your Eye on the Ball". As part of the initiative the FA will provide funding for a poster and information campaign created by advertising agency Red Cell.
Posters and information packs will be distributed to all Premier and League football clubs to remind footballers to "Check your balls for irregular lumps". Ten thousand posters are being printed and will appear in changing rooms and areas around the clubs including the urinals.
The PFA will provide funding for the secondary stage of the campaign providing club doctors with information and literature to ensure players receive the best support and advice on men's cancers.
The joint initiative comes after it was revealed that Millwall striker Neil Harris, Alan Stubbs of Everton FC and ex-Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur player Jason Cundy have all undergone treatment for testicular cancer.
Gordon Taylor, Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, says: "This is football's opportunity to use its high profile to generate awareness of men's cancer, in particular for the young men who play and watch football. The PFA support this campaign wholeheartedly and hope that by doing so, players and supporters alike will realise the importance of the dangers of ignorance.
Geoff Thompson, Chairman of The Football Association, says, "The examples of Neil Harris, Alan Stubbs and Jason Cundy have demonstrated that testicular cancer can be successfully fought, and their courage has been an inspiration to us all. I am confident that the "Keep your eye on the ball" campaign will ensure that football is better informed and more self-aware."
Be aware
It is generally thought that men are more reluctant to visit their GP and seek advice about their health. A key message of the Keep Your Eye on the Ball campaign is that improved knowledge of symptoms and risk factors of testicular cancer could lead to early diagnosis and save lives.
Testicular cancer often affects younger men and is on the increase. In the 1970s, the number of men who developed the disease was around 700. Since then, that figure has more than doubled. However, in over 90% of cases the disease can be successfully treated if diagnosed and treated early enough.
The campaign is also urging men not to be embarrassed to seek help. A recent NHS survey showed that only 69% of men aged 18-24 had visited their surgery in the preceding 12 months compared with 90% of women in the same age group1.
Professor Jane Wardle from Imperial Cancer Research Fund, says "I find it worrying so few young men know they can help themselves by regularly checking their testicles so they know what is normal and can pick up unusual lumps or swellings that may be the early signs of cancer."
Dr Peter Rigby, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research commented "We need to break taboos associated with male cancers and encourage men to forget their embarrassment and talk to their doctors about their worries. Early diagnosis is essential for effective treatment and men must go to their GPs immediately if they have concerns about testicular cancer."
1 NHS Executive. National survey of NHS patients, general practice, London: TSO, 1998.
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Notes to editors
- Free leaflets containing advice on the symptoms of testicular cancer are available. Please phone 0800 731 9468 or 0870 160 2040
- For Press enquiries, please contact:
Alison Morgan
The Institute of Cancer Research
Tel:0207 970 6028