Cancers kill 17% more Scotsmen than UK norm

Published on Friday 4 December 2009 22:09

SCOTTISH men have a far higher mortality rate from cancer than men in the rest of the UK, a conference heard yesterday.

Professor Alan White, chair of the Men's Health Forum in England, said the "stark reality" was that Scottish men continued to have poorer health than men in the rest of the UK.

He said his own research had revealed that Scottish men had a 17 per cent higher cancer mortality rate than the UK average.

The conference in Glasgow also heard that Scottish men were more at risk of developing and dying of those cancers that should affect men and women equally.

Prof White, professor of men's health at Leeds Metropolitan said: "It is clear that Scottish men face significant challenges when it comes to cancer.

"We need to be more proactive in reaching out to men to inform them of the risk and also what can be done to help prevent cancer and combat it.

"There is still along way to go until we can change attitudes among men about the importance of their health. However, organisations such as the Men's Heath Forum Scotland have a vital role to play to create a healthier and stronger country."

Mark Ward, national co-ordinator of the Men's Health Forum Scotland, added: "Improvements have been made over time to help improve the health of men in Scotland. However, it is clear that work still has to be done. Men must be encouraged to seek support and information to improve their health. Small lifestyle changes can make a huge difference."

The reluctance of men to adopt a healthy lifestyle and visit the doctor may be fuelling a gender gap in cancer cases and deaths, experts claim. Among cancers which affect both sexes, men are 60 per cent more likely to develop the disease and 70 per cent more likely to die from it.