Dylan Stoll | Copy Editor
Featured Image: Last year, Movember participants raised over $17 million towards combatting health issues affecting men. | Courtesy of Pexels
If you’re noticing more moustaches as you’re walking around campus, it’s probably because it’s that time of the year again.
For participants of Movember, that means growing a moustache, all in the name of building awareness, as well as funds, for men’s health issues.
The official website for Movember states that in 2017, $17.2 million was raised, with 67.6 per cent of those funds directly contributing to men’s health projects. That leaves administrative costs at 26.7 per cent, with the final 5.7 per cent retained for future investments.
Administrative costs can include: credit card processing fees, technology to process donations securely, bank fees, legal costs, salaries for admin support staff, telecommunications and computer equipment, insurance, office rent and maintenance costs, and travel.
As for the funds that are retained, they are being progressively built over several campaigns. Once the Board of Directors decide the amount is sufficient, no further funds will be kept.
York has joined the cause through the YU Sport Council, with donations being accepted through the Movember Foundation’s website. Their “final shave” will be happening on November 23.
To reiterate, Movember is about spreading awareness to men’s health issues, such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and suicide, and in that spirit, the following will be in assistance to that cause.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society’s official website, testicular cancer is a “malignant tumour that starts in the cells of a testicle.” When the cells are not behaving or growing properly, three main issues can arise.
The first issue is the growth of benign, or non-cancerous tumours, like benign teratomas, and benign sex cord stromal tumours. Though they can cause a more serious problem if they are pressing on vital structures such as blood vessels or nerves, the general outlook of a benign tumour is preferable to a malignant one; they do not spread like other cancerous tumours do.
The second, more serious issue, is the growth of abnormal cells that are associated with an increased risk of cancer. Though they have not yet become cancerous, and they may never so long as they are treated; though they still show abnormalities that are indicative of cancer. The most common precancerous condition of the testicle is called intratubular germ cell neoplasia, unclassified.
Lastly, the most serious issue would be cancer itself. More than 90 per cent of all testicular cancer cases are germ cell tumours, the germ cells themselves being responsible for the production of sperm. The two main types of germ cell tumours are seminomas and non-seminomas, with seminomas occurring in one-third of all cases, and mainly within an older age group. However, both seminomas and non-seminomas tumours occur in men between the ages of 15 and 35 years of age.
Symptoms of testicular cancer include the growth of a painless lump or swelling on the testicle itself, as well as a dull, aching pain in the abdomen, anus, or scrotum. Pain is the first symptom in 10 per cent of affected men.
Though it is difficult to maintain positivity when diagnosed with such a disease, those that are afflicted should remember that research into these issues is an ongoing, daily process, with new advancements and treatments arriving more often as the years pass. Recently, researchers have discovered that mutations that occur within the genes known as PLAP, NANOG, SOX2, and REX1 are associated with testicular cancer. This discovery could someday help identify men who are at a higher risk of developing testicular cancer, and possibly result in a proactive, rather than reactive approach to treatment. It could also help in the personalization of treatment (as some mutations result in a resistance to chemotherapy) as well as assist in determining whether or not a patient requires further treatment, or surgery by itself.
For those who are fighting testicular cancer a second time, there are new treatments available that include a preliminary, high-dosage of chemotherapy, followed by a stem-cell transplant. The procedure is showing promise for those who have a poor tumour prognosis.
Prostate cancer, the second issue Movember brings attention to, occurs within the cells of the prostate, a walnut-sized gland just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It usually grows slowly, and is often successfully removed or managed if diagnosed. However, many men do not know that they have it.
Symptoms can include: frequent urination, weak or interrupted urine flow, the urge to urinate frequently at night, blood in the urine and/or seminal fluid, a new onset of erectile dysfunction, pain or burning during urination, and discomfort or pain when sitting, due to an enlargement of the prostate gland.
Like testicular cancer, prostate cancer can exist in three different forms: benign, precancerous, and cancerous. Some benign conditions include prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia; as stated before, they do not spread. Precancerous conditions can include prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, atypical small acinar proliferation, and proliferative inflammatory atrophy, but true prostate cancer is known as adenocarcinoma of the prostate, a condition that will spread if left untreated.
Initial treatment of prostate cancer may include localized surgery and/or radiation, or systemic treatments, such as hormone therapy (the lowering of testosterone, which contributes to cell growth) and chemotherapy, which is often used for metastatic (spreading) prostate cancer.
In addition to the previously stated treatments, advancements in medical science have produced new treatement options for those fighting prostate cancer. A team of researchers led by Dr. Christopher Ong at The Vancouver Prostate Centre have discovered a “critical gene that drives cancer growth.” Using this discovery, the team produced a new protein-based medication that prevents unhealthy cell growth.
“This is the first-of-its-kind multi-receptor tyrosine kinase targeted therapeutic protein medication that can block prostate cancer growth,” said Ong in a press release, courtesy of the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. “In our tumour models, we have shown that our new targeted drug significantly delays development of treatment-resistant forms of prostate cancer.”
However, cancers are not the only enemy to men’s health. Known as the “silent epidemic,” men’s suicide was ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in Canada during 2007. Due to the stigma surrounding male suicide, many men avoid even talking about it. This has only furthered the lack of visibility.
Despite its alarming rate of occurrence (globally, every minute, a man dies from suicide), men’s suicide receives much less attention compared to other diseases, such as AIDS. To make a comparison, in 2005, there were 45 males who prematurely died due to AIDS-related complications, whereas 2857 male deaths were associated with suicide. As one can see for themselves, AIDS is spoken of more so in the media then men’s suicide, but the statistics warrant a different approach.
Men’s suicide is also happening at a significantly higher rate than women; this is a long term pattern for Canada. To make matters worse, few explanatory frameworks have been developed to account for this persistent pattern, and even fewer preventative measures have been established to combat male suicide.
In 2009, the suicide rate for males was over three times higher than that of females. Both sexes had relatively stable suicide rates in the 1950s, but then steadily rose from the 1960s to the 1980s, where it peaked during the year 1983 at 15.1 per 100,000. By 2009, rates of suicide have dropped to 10.7 deaths per 100,000.
That being said, deaths by suicide account for only a small percentage of the total suicide attempts made. It is estimated that for every completed suicide, there are as many as 20 attempts made.
So what is Canada doing about this ‘silent epidemic’? The Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention has six legislated elements for action. These include: providing guidelines to improve public awareness and knowledge of suicide; disseminating information about suicide and its prevention; making existing statistics about suicide and related risk factors publicly available; promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange across domains, sectors, regions and jurisdictions; defining best practices for suicide prevention; and promoting the use of research and evidence based practices for suicide prevention.
If you are considering harming yourself, having suicidal thoughts, or feeling depressed, Movember’s official website explains how you can take action “to move beyond feeling down.” You can talk to somebody you trust, exercise, or take a break from your challenges and relax. You can get out, and spend some time with a friend, or, if you believe you require more serious attention, you can talk to a professional for advice and support.
In the case that you’ve noticed a friend or relative who appears to be depressed, Movember’s website also has some guidelines you can follow that will assist in the undertaking of those tough conversations. Before you attempt to help, it is best to ensure that you are in a good state of mind to listen, that you have the time to listen, and that you are prepared for the answer to be ‘not good.’ It is also pertinent that you be okay with the fact that they may not be ready to talk to you, or may not even want to talk to you in the first place.
You must also ensure that you have a good environment to have the conversation in. As Movember’s website says: “Good conversations can happen anywhere, but there are few places where guys might feel more comfortable talking.” One such place may be amongst nature, out in the woods or a park, perhaps. Another is shoulder to shoulder, watching TV or playing a video game. Some men feel more comfortable talking about tough topics while they’re doing something, rather than face-to-face. Having the conversation online can help as well.
The conversation itself should mainly consist of you listening to them, because sometimes, all they need is someone to vent to. Don’t try to diagnose their problems, or provide solutions. This may seem illogical, but in all likelihood, they probably just need help telling their story.
If you’ve managed to get them to speak, keep them encouraging them by nodding, or asking open-ended questions. Don’t judge, criticize, diminish or dismiss anything they say; do your best to encourage action in some form. There are many resources available online, and even something as simple as pushing them to engage in an activity they used to enjoy could help. If you believe that more serious attention is warranted, encourage them to seek a professional such as a doctor, psychologist, or other professional.
November may be a dark, depressing month, but for those men afflicted with testicular cancer, prostate cancer, or mental health issues that could lead to suicide, the darkness is fought every day, of every month, of every year. This is why Movember was started: to shed some light on the men who struggle through these illnesses, and who do so with little support.
With every passing year, the Movember cause has assisted greatly in exposing the calamities men face, so that others can help through donations, through research, or simply through personal support.
