"Men could learn from women about attitudes to health. I would characterise it as the way they treat their cars. Women drive very carefully and make sure they take it into the garage at the right time but men just put their foot down until it's knackered."

I feel it is sadly true that men, particularly young men, feel that they are invincible and do not seek medical attention until symptoms become almost life threatening. However this culture is changing and men are more willing to discuss health issues- if only the information is actually out there. Unlike many of the other cancers you have mentioned in this article, testicular cancer is one of the few that can be cured IF, caught early enough. More attention should be paid toward the simple act of checking yourself and knowing what feels right for you - this routine could be what saves your life.
Anna Haywood, Buckinghamshire

I have had testicular cancer and luckily I caught it early. I discovered it whilst showering one morning. However, I was moving country at the time and only decided to do something about it once I had moved. This was about two months from initial discovery to treatment. I went through a phase before diagnosis of shrugging it off, but as I am relatively health conscious, I decided I had to do something about it. Its only having had a serious illness that you become sensitive to them. I now have annual blood checks.
Colin Larcombe, Orléans, France

I work for the NHS in Health Improvement and lead on men's health. I totally agree with a number of the comments above; particularly access times and attitudes of GPs. I hear these comments all the time from large groups of men who I deliver men's health awareness sessions to (using humour as an approach!). New extended hours and 8am-8pm 7 days a week surgeries are available now where anyone can simply walk in and see a GP. We are promoting these as much as possible at the moment alongside self checking awareness. Men need to keep pushing GPs or ask for a second opinion, and yes some work may need to be done with GP's but for every difficult GP, you have another fantastic one who champions the cause so it's not good to generalise.
Richie Andrew, Middlesbrough/Redcar and Cleveland

I agree with the 'doctor's condescending attitude' theme to some of these posts.

I have experienced this on a couple of occasions at our local surgery (seen by different doctors). I went because I was concerned by a skin/chest irritation & I wondered if it was a possible cancer issue. I had tried to find good NHS info about male breast cancer on their websites, but it's all centred around female breast cancer. The doctor was very dismissive and said that male breast cancer was very rare - how was I meant to know that? She couldn't say what it was and told me to try changing washing detergent. Is it any wonder that we (men) don't take our symptoms to the doctor until it's very serious!
Ross, Edinburgh

As I hit my 40s I requested a "well man" check from my GP. Duly arranged I turned up and I was weighed and my blood pressure taken.

"Was that it?"

"Well, do you have any questions?"

No cholesterol checks, no lifestyle questionnaire, no liver function test, no testicle or prostate exam, nothing. I could have done it at home myself. A complete waste of time and money. When I worked in Japan EVERY public sector worker had a full work up every year - admittedly this was overkill - barium meals and x-rays - but some half-way house is surely needed.
Adam, Bradford

Frankly, if you're a male of working age, doctors also assume there can be little wrong with you. I asked for a general check-up when I reached 40, and as well getting a slightly frosty response, was asked "well, do YOU think there's anything wrong?" It's not embarrassment, it's being made to feel you're wasting the time of NHS staff.
Paul, Coventry

While it's true that us men often ignore our health problems, my experience is that most doctors don't take my health seriously enough. I have suffered health problems for over four years, but it took three years of trying, and four GPs, till I was referred to hospital specialists - where they discovered I had chlamydia, intestinal parasites, and a potentially serious lung problem! The first GP, when I told her on the phone I had just had a urinary tract infection while away in Wales, and had been advised by the doctor there to make an urgent appointment on my return, told me that men do not get UTIs (by implication accusing me of lying), and refused to see me. This meant I continued to have chlamydia for three more years and could potentially have infected hundreds of people -- fortunately I hadn't! Yet most women I know are repeatedly offered tests for STIs.
Rupert Taylor, Bristol, England

This article indicates one of the many problems men face in life generally. It's full of negatives; it's always our fault! Why don't women take a greater part in parliamentary politics? Because we (men) don't encourage them enough. Why don't men go to the doctor? Because the NHS focuses so much on women, because men are not brought up with health issues like women are, because your local health centre is like a women's centre, because men are under pressure as bread winners not to take time off for the doc? No, because men are bad, slow, unprepared etc. A more positive attitude and a little less blame is what's called for.
John Connolly, Northampton

I live in Ealing and my local 'health' centre is so over-subscribed they won't give you an appointment. You're supposed to ring up on the day and they'll fit you in. What good is that to me? I work full-time and would never go to the doctor with a cold or flu. As a child I reacted to the whooping cough jab and on the advice of my GP wasn't vaccinated against measles. Recently my local 'health' centre refused to vaccinate me as I was too old. I'm 28. In the end I got the jab at my previous GP practice in Northants. I love Britain but why are so many 'services' substandard?
James, Ealing, London

Lots of men don't visit the doctor because they shrug off their symptoms either as bravado or just because it doesn't seem significant. Funny really because the stereotype is that we get man-flu and think things are worse than they really are so you'd expect us to be going more than women. The other reason could be that we don't want to "put doctors out" and take valuable time away from those perceived to be more sick than us. This is exacerbated by overworked GPs wanting to get through the daily surgery and giving an impression of hurrying us through. You might feel you've put out a GP by seeing them with what you consider trivial symptoms and not go back again.
Johnny Maelstrom, Surbiton

Amongst other reasons I am sure there is one BIG reason why men dont report illness such as testicular cancer or indeed prostrate cancer: they are often unaware of what signs to look for (unlike breast cancer where there is clear info on what to look for and how to go about it). The answer to this might well include info such as has been given recently on the TV about strokes and/or popular TV programmes such as Coronation Street or EastEnders including such info in their storylines.
Pete Lawton, Birmingham UK

I am a diabetic. In my recent visits to my GP, I found him to be patronising and demeaning. I will never be going back to the same GP and will be asking for a different GP at the surgery. Such behaviour can drive patients away. There must be strict rules about how GPs can speak to their patients as this can drive patients away and affect patients' health.
Ashish Kulkarni, Stirling, Stirlingshire

I think there are two measures that could be considered to improve the statistics:

1. Make medical self-observation part of school education. Some basic medical knowledge and the ability to tell signs of certain illnesses is just as important as basic maths.

2. It would be helpful to provide an annual health checkup for every person. It does not need to be high tech, just a 10 minute appointment with your GP to do some basic checks and have a chat. But I suppose this would already put too much strain on the NHS.
Holger, Bristol, UK

It should be compulsory for men and women to have regular checks at the doctors for cancer. More and more often, we hear of people being diagnosed too late, why aren't we all allowed the opportunity to be regularly checked by our GP? Maybe even full health checks on a yearly basis. This would mean more GPs or them having to work weekends, but what price a human life?
Rick Harrison, Doncaster

GP opening hours are a major issue - I work away from home in hotels 5 days a week and my GP doesn't open on a Saturday. Even if I can work locally, the earliest appointment is 0830 so I would still not start the commute to work until 9. Us men are notoriously lazy at making an effort when it is needed so make healthcare more accessible and reduce the effort required!
Paul, Berkshire

I pay for medical care for my wife and myself that includes periodic check-up's and advice which we both take action on. Not so foolish eh?

Hi

You ladies of a certain age are still gorgeous. and far more interesting.

Don't do yourselves down.

Awwe perfect gentleman

He is, and I agree with him.

Prostate cancer UK

Apr 2016

Despite one man every hour dying from prostate cancer, it seems most men still have no idea what the gland does or even that they have one.

Our new survey of almost 2,000 men found a massive 92% of them had no idea that the prostate helps make the fluid sperm swims in and contains muscles for ejaculation, with more than half not knowing where it was in their body and 17% unaware of it altogether.

Beyond belief.

"Ignoring your prostate can be lethal," says our chief executive, "You can’t see it, you can’t feel it, and shockingly many men only realise they have a prostate when it starts to go wrong.

"If men really knew what the prostate can do to them, they wouldn’t ignore it. As a country, we need to wake up and stop men dying needlessly. Ignoring prostate cancer won’t beat it – only fighting it will. Now is the time to join the fight to beat this disease."

14,500 men projected to die from prostate cancer in 2026.

Makes no sense to me, joking aside.

Seems previous attempts to get the message across have failed.

Side effects if surgery is needed may be a reason. Urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction possible .

So...for men's health, it should be man of that ilk that steps up, shouldn't it? No man is going to look at that picture of Ulrika and think "Oh, must go and get checked" or anything to do with mental health, really.