SAINT MARY’S NEWS RELEASE
Movember (formerly known as November) is the month dedicated to spreading awareness about prostate and testicular cancer and changing the face of men’s health. Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center is proud to support this movement and wants to encourage early detection and prevention for these potentially fatal diseases.
Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on men’s faces throughout the 30 days of November. The programs Movember supports and the funds raised by this movement focus on education, living with and beyond cancer diagnosis, staying mentally healthy and research to achieve a vision of what men’s health should look like in the future.
One is six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives and five percent of the 8,250 men diagnosed with testicular cancer will die as a result of the condition. Men between the ages of 20 and 54 have the highest risk of developing testicular cancer and men over 50 years of age have the highest risk of developing prostate disorders. Other factors such as diet, weight, family history, testosterone levels and ethnicity also affect a man’s risk of developing prostate and testicular disorders. Saint Mary’s recommends men following the below to ensure they regularly screen for cancer.
PROSTATE CANCER | ||
Risk Factors | Warning Signs | Prevention/Screening |
| Age – 50+ highest risk
Family History – Your risk increases 2x if your father or brother has prostate cancer
Race – African American have a higher risk compared to other races | § Difficulty starting or stopping urination § Frequent urination § Painful urination | PSA blood test is the most effective tool for early detection. Begin testing at age 50; high risk men begin testing at age 40 |
TESTICULAR CANCER | ||
Risk Factors | Warning Signs | Prevention/Screening |
| No risk factors is common, the following may increase your risk:
§ Having an undescended testicle § Klinefelter syndrome § Family history | § Change in size/shape of one or both testes § Pain in the testes § Feeling of heaviness in the scrotum § Dull pressure/pain in the lower back, belly and/or groin | Since testicular cancer is unknown, there are no sure ways to prevent it. Early detection is key to successful treatment. A self exam can be performed regularly and examination during a routine physical. |
There is certainly something to take away from the Movember slogan, “Knowledge is power, prevention is everything, early detection is key.” For more information about Movember, visit us.movember.com.
For more information about Saint Mary’s Center for Cancer, call 770-7410 or visit www.saintmarysreno.com/cancer.
Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center
Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center based in Reno, Nev. is a 380-bed acute care hospital offering inpatient, outpatient and wellness services. Nationally recognized and accredited by the Joint Commission, Saint Mary’s offers a robust line of services including a top-rated Center for Cancer featuring the region’s only CyberKnife radiosurgery delivery system, state-of-the-art William N. Pennington Emergency Room and Senior ER and a Cardiology program dedicated to long-term wellness. The health system also operates a fully-integrated Medical Group and a state-of-the-art Center for Health & Fitness. As a long-standing community partner, Saint Mary’s is dedicated to ensuring the health and wellness of northern Nevada remains strong. For more information, visit www.saintmarysreno.com.
