Blue September – men facing up to cancer

September 1, 2009

A host of sporting stars, including WA Olympians turned out in force today to mark the start of Blue September – the time to face up to cancer in men.

Proudly supporting the Cancer Council Western Australia, Blue September aims to raise awareness about cancers that affect tens of thousands of Australian men each year, but could be prevented through cancer-smart lifestyle choices.

Among the sporting stars supporting the inaugural Blue September are Olympic hockey champions Michael Brennan and Greg Corbitt, both of whom have experienced cancer.

Greg is a testicular cancer survivor and Michael is currently having treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Michael was diagnosed in April when a large mass was found in his chest.

“I had a few signs and symptoms before but like most blokes I just ignored them and in the end my wife had to drag me to the doctor,” Michael said.

“If I hadn’t gone when I did, apart from the cancer getting worse, I was at risk of having a heart attack because of the pressure the tumour was putting on my chest.”

Michael’s message to men is simple, “No matter how small you might think a symptom might be, go and get it checked out. As I found out, it can quickly become life threatening.

“You need to think about the people around you. You need to think about your wife, children, brothers…they all suffer if something happens to you,” Michael said.

Greg Corbitt’s testicular cancer was diagnosed when he was just 26. It was detected through a routine drug test, and an astute diagnosis by the national hockey team doctor.

“My experience tells me that even at your peak of fitness you can be struck down with cancer,” Greg said.

“Blokes need to face up to their health and do what they can to reduce their chances of getting cancer.”

This September men are being encouraged to commit to some cancer smart lifestyle choices:

•    Quitting smoking or helping a mate quit smoking
•    Being SunSmart
•    Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight
•    Being physically active
•    Reducing alcohol intake
•    Having age-appropriate check-ups at their GP.
                                     
GP Dr Moyez Jiwa said it was time for men to step up and take responsibility for their own health.

“I am constantly surprised that men have to be badgered into going to see a doctor with worrying symptoms. Thank God for wives and partners because they are the ones who take action,” Dr Jiwa said.

“Men think they are invincible and often don’t see themselves deteriorating. They can also be too embarrassed to report some symptoms and they worry about invasive examinations.

“One thing that gives a doctor the most satisfaction is dealing with a health issue that could potentially destroy a life at a stage when it can be fixed quickly.”

Every year in WA around 5,500 men are diagnosed with cancer and more than 2,000 lose their lives to the disease.

Steve Pratt from Cancer Council Western Australia said it was a sad fact that more men are diagnosed with cancer than women and more men die from the disease every year.

“Men can be their own worst enemies when it comes to their health in terms of lifestyle and also ignoring symptoms that may develop,” Steve said.

“There are so many ways to reduce cancer risk with changes to our lifestyle. I would encourage men to do the things they can to avoid cancer.”

Blue September is proudly supported by a host of WA sporting champions including;

Michael Brennan OAM, Hockey, 2004 Olympic Gold Medallist
Greg Corbitt, Hockey, 1992 Olympic Silver Medallist
Dean Evans, Hockey, 1992 Olympic Silver Medallist
Bill Kirby OAM, Swimming, 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist
Stuart Reside, Rowing, 2000, 2004, Olympic Bronze Medallist Men's Eight
Tim Neesham, Water Polo, 2000, 2004, 2008
Jeremy Stevenson, Rowing, 2008
Ben Cureton, Rowing, 2004, 2008, Silver Medallist Lightweight Coxless Fours (2004)
Luke Quinlivan, Australian waterpolo team, WAIS
Nick O’Halloran, Australian waterpolo team, WAIS
Reece Baker Australian kayak team, WAIS
Matt Fuller National Rugby League
Tristan Clemons SmokeFree WA Thundersticks
Mark Boyne, SmokeFree WA Thundersticks

Everyone can get involved in Blue September by painting their faces blue, wearing blue or expressing blue in some other way and uploading their images to the Blue September website.

The awareness month will culminate with Blue Friday on 25 September, where all Australians will be encouraged to “get blue”!