Movember: The power of the Mo!

Ben is right! All those who have an interest in prostate cancer and men’s health should support the game-changing Movember initiative either by growing a mo or (ladies) raising money for the cause next month. The funds raised last year have helped Prostate Cancer UK expand and develop at an extraordinary pace. This Charity, of which I am a Trustee, now has 174 employees and is about to disburse more than £12 million in research grants. It is also poised to establish one, or quite likely two, Movember Centres of Excellence; each of which can expect to receive £5 million support over the next 3 years. Movember also supports important research into testicular cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research in London.
Some may bemoan the fact that other areas of men’s health have not been the recipients of Movember’s benificence, however, it is surely true that if the funds are spread too thinly no ground-breaking results will be achieved and we will therefore be letting down ourselves, and more importantly our patients. Prostate and testicular cancers are as serious a scourge of men as breast cancer is of women, yet receive only a fraction of the funding. Moustache growers and their supporters at last look set to redress the balance. Do log on to the http://www.movember.com website and sign up before November 1st. You will look great with a mo!

Personally Ben, having been inspired by the pure hideousness of some of your previous attempts, I’m embarking on my first Movember. I’m going to put some seed money into the donation by asking for a small honorarium that I am due for a talk be donated to my Movember appeal instead, which is hugely agreeable to the pharmaceutical company, and has made me more committed to the cause. It’s a bit of humour/fun and, as you correctly point out, raises awareness through conversation. The November rugby international matches may help raise a little awareness also!

Movember is a fantastic idea to raise cash? The renaming of a month has been replicated several time but I would think Movember has had the biggest success.
As well as being visible and it’s own advertising board, A ‘mo’ also seems a good metaphor. Charitable donations can make a big difference and a small moustache can radically change the way someone looks. Ben now has a distant Mexican relative and what is Errol Flynn doing outside the BJUI office?

Great Blog by ‘Mo Bro’ Ben and hopefully this year’s event will be bigger than the previous years in raising awareness about Men’s Health. As highlighted by this blog, most of the funds from Prostate Cancer UK go towards prostate cancer research. Ongoing research in prostate cancer is critical to identify novel markers to differentiate the indolent forms from the more aggressive cancers.

As a Urologist, we not only have an obligation to raise awareness about prostate health but also about testicular and bladder cancer. It is still disappointing to see many young men who present with advanced and metastatic testicular tumours, having noticed the lump many months ago! I strongly feel that Testicular Self Examination (TSE) should be promoted as rigorously as Breast Self Examination. As a Physician, we also have an obligation in November to discuss about smoking cessation, alcohol consumption and obesity. All the three are implicated in major medical conditions and cancers, including genito-urinary organs. It has been shown that men are more reluctant to seek medical attention as compared to women even though they have symptoms of the disease (https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8588686.stm). This is reflected by the fact that the life expectancy of men is nearly 5 years less than that of women (https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mens_Health_Watch/2010/January/mars-vs-venus-the-gender-gap-in-health). In the top ten killers, other than Alzheimer’s, men are nearly twice more likely to die as compared to women (https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mens_Health_Watch/2010/January/mars-vs-venus-the-gender-gap-in-health). Therefore, there is a huge ‘gender gap’ when it comes to men’s health and this needs to be narrowed. The only way to do this is by raising the awareness about men’s health and Movember movement is leading the way. ‘Mo Bro’ Ben has taken on this challenge and has successfully raised funds in the past years and I am wishing him all the best for this year.

Ben, I think you raise an interesting point in bringing up awareness. Although non-medical friends may not know why they are sporting the ‘mo’ other than to support charities, I would suggest most medico’s with the hairy upper lip don’t know exactly where the money is being spent and what research has been funded through these charities.
We should have greater awareness of these finer points so we can inform patients exactly how these charities are benefitting them.

Ok, so it’s THAT time of year again. Gearing up for Movember number seven. This is best done when the whole unit gets involved, we had a great involvement at Guy’s Hospital last year on all levels from nurses, registrars and consultants (with the exception of a certain BJUI website editor). I heard a rumour from Ireland that David Bouchier-Hayes has broken with accepted protocol and has been growing his since September….. I’ll still sponsor you Dave!

Ben, I’m following your lead and yes you’re right girls/wifes highly disapprove it!
Australia and Canada are the main countries leading the Movember initiative. To make a contribution to Movember we have an ongoing phase I RCT University of Western Ontario, looking at the growth of Mo’s. i’m currently enrolled and I can’t tell more details until the trial is closed. Next year we may able to have an international trial!!!