22% avoid prostate cancer discussions with fathers

More than a fifth of people in Scotland would avoid talking to their father about an intimate health issue such as prostate cancer despite it being potentially life-saving, according to a new poll.

A new poll shows that a fifth of people avoid discussing prostate cancer with their father. Picture: Callum Bennetts

The disease is the most common cancer in men and claims 10,900 lives annually in the UK, but can be treated successfully if caught early.

A UK-wide survey of 2,054 people by YouGov for charity Prostate Cancer UK found 22% of Scottish respondents would dodge having a heart-to-heart with their fathers about prostate cancer or similar conditions.

Nearly a quarter of people in Scotland (24%) do not talk to their father about his health at all.

Angela Culhane, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, lost her father-in-law to prostate cancer, putting her husband and son at a 2.5-times increased risk of the disease.

She said: “If everyone who gives a card to their dad this Sunday also showed they care by asking the serious questions strangers won’t ask, no matter how awkward, then many more fathers will live to see many more father’s days.

“This year I’m urging everyone to have a three-minute conversation with their dad about prostate cancer to ensure he’s there for many more years to come.”

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