Wellness & Fitness

Cancer hits men more than women

man

Most male cancer patients suffer from psychological and sexual problems due to inadequate support systems. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH

Men are more likely to be affected negatively after being diagnosed with cancer and die earlier than women, according to the latest Cancer Research UK figures.

Each year 179,000 men are diagnosed with cancer compared to 173,000 women, a survey published in the British Journal of Cancer shows.

According to the Cancer Research UK, some men are paying with their lives for delaying undergoing testing. The study shows men are 15 per cent more likely to develop cancer, but are 36 per cent more likely to die from it than women.

The study of more than 2,300 people with 15 different cancers found that men were more likely to delay going to the doctor than women.

According to the results, 44 per cent of men with prostate cancer delayed visiting their doctors about their symptoms for three months or more, while only eight per cent of women with breast cancer symptoms put off getting help.

This is because men are not as aware of cancer symptoms as women such as swelling, unexplained weight loss or bleeding. “Men also tend to delay going to get their symptoms checked out...they are perhaps more worried about the diagnosis than women and are less familiar with the healthcare system,” Dr John Chisholm, a former GP and chair of the Men’s Health Forum.

And when men are diagnosed with cancer it hits them harder than women.

According to a Macmillan Cancer Care research, 50 per cent of newly diagnosed cancer patients have levels of anxiety or depression that adversely affect their quality of life.

According to the study, men suffer higher levels of depression, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness than women.

A study published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2013, involving 1,000 men in Europe who had been treated for prostate cancer, concluded that eight in 10 were not getting the care they need to prevent psychological or sexual problems.

Dr Frances Good Hart, a London-based consultant clinical psychologist in London and author of The Cancer Survivor’s Companion, says men are so disadvantaged since most support services that are in place are not meant for them.

“They are aimed towards a discussion about hair loss, fertility post treatment it all very much focuses on women,” she says.

Furthermore, she says, there may be stereotypical attitudes about men’s emotional needs during treatment.

There is clear evidence that women find it easier to express their needs and talk about their concerns and to accept help,” says Dr Hart.

The benefits of emotional support during cancer treatment should not be underestimated, she said.

Initial results from an ongoing study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that married people tend to live longer than single people after cancer diagnosis partly due to the emotional support a partner brings.