The October Rosa campaign, which focuses on breast cancer prevention, is already well known, and many people are committed to encouraging women to take care of their own health. But ... what about male health?

In order to make men aware of the importance of taking care of themselves, the Blue November appeared, focusing on the importance of prostate cancer prevention. Besides the blue color, there are those who are willing to let the mustache grow during the month of November (what is known in some countries as "movember", a mixture of the English words mustache and november). The idea is that the new look provided by the mustache could symbolize the change in the way men "see" care for their own health.

As in the case of the October Rosa, throughout the month of November there is a media effort to inform the population about the main diseases that affect the male population, highlighting ways to detect it in advance and helping to take the stigma of the tests that help in the medical check-up routines.

In Brazil, prostate cancer is the second most common among men (behind only non-melanoma skin cancer), according to the National Cancer Institute José Alencar Gomes da Silva (INCA). The incidence rate of the disease is 6 times higher in developed countries compared to developing countries, and the forecast is that in 2016 61,200 new cases will occur (INCA).

Good habits, no matter how clichéd they may seem, are of crucial importance in preventing diseases, including prostate cancer. "When we talk about prevention it is necessary to point out that some preventive measures are easily applicable, such as changes in lifestyle. It is important to maintain the practice of physical activities and a diet rich in vegetables and low in fat, "says oncologist Luciano Paladini, an analyst doctor at Evidências - Kantar Health. "With the early detection of prostate cancer, we have achieved cure rates of around 90% to 95%."

Diagnosis is only possible through two tests: the prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which allows to track and define the optimal treatment sequence in patients with advanced prostate cancer, and the still dreaded touch examination. "Rectal examination, a rapid examination - lasts seconds, is practically painless and does not affect man's masculinity at all - must also be performed, since PSA is not effective alone. Approximately 20% of the cases diagnosed with rectal examination may have normal PSA at diagnosis. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of prejudice with this exam. Approximately two thirds of Brazilian men do not undergo the rectal touch of screening. The two tests together (touch and PSA) can diagnose 80% of cases of prostate cancer, "warns Paladini.

According to the Brazilian Society of Urology (SBU), about 20% of patients with prostate cancer are still diagnosed in the advanced stages, although there has been a greater demand in the last decades due to the dissemination and awareness in the male population. "My perception in clinical practice is that over the years, men have been more accepting of the rectal touch when it is needed," says Paladini. "Another interesting piece of data was produced by researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP): in Brazil, while about 40% of the individuals had the opinion that the rectal examination was not 'acceptable' before performing the procedure, after the same proportion dropped to 10%. This suggests that men's expectation of rectal touch is quite different from the reality surrounding the examination. The dissemination of data like this can help in the demystification of this prejudice, "he says.

Fonte: http://www.evidencias.com.br/noticias/novembro-azul-incentivando-os-homens-a-cuidarem-da-saude/