Movember:
As a female I have been extremely aware of October’s Breast cancer Awareness month. Major sports teams wearing pink to remind everyone and make more people aware of Breast Cancer. In my full time job, I spend a lot of time in research and, in the last 2 years, I have come to be a lot more in tune to the ‘not so aware’ men’s cancers…I can very proudly say I took my daddy to his first exam after he hit the ripe age of 55. I sat there waiting for him and made sure I got him home ok. I was proud my dad even knew to get a colonoscopy, my dad who laughed at doctors and modern medicine.
But when you think about it…in all honesty, when was the last time you did think about it? In honor of MoVember, in honor of all the men out there reminding their women to do their yearly tests, I write these facts today:
Approximately 5,000 men between the ages of 15-35, every year are diagnosed with testicular cancer. 190,000 men 35-90 are diagnosed every year with Prostate Cancer. The scary statistic here? Every morning I pass a billboard that says “12,500 men know. Curingprostatecancer.com” In researching this billboard and this information, the billboard screams even louder, 12,500 men are the number of men treated with a specific drug for Prostate cancer. Let me repeat, every year, 190,000 men ages 35-90 are diagnosed with prostate cancer. In 2009, the American Cancer Society estimated over 200,000 men would be diagnosed with this disease and over 20,000 would die from it.
Movember is an attempt to make everyone aware of Male Cancers. Movember challenges men across the globe to change their facial appearance for a month, growing a moustache for awareness of men’s cancers. This has taken on in the NHL this year, around 150 players have signed the pledge to grow their ‘stash to stand for cancer awareness. Jimmy Slater proudly showed his stubble off in the beginning of November and now was showing a pretty mean moustache in his second goal of the season Thursday night. A picture of a few of our boys with their moustaches flaunting is at the following (and don’t be afraid to join) Atlanta Thrashers
MOST importantly, if you are a man and you are reading this post, get tested. If you are a woman, remind your man how important he is to you and make him get tested.
Movember
