Men all over the world are putting their best face forward for Moustache November, or “Movember,” a global men’s health campaign to raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancers. On November 1, men began growing moustaches and, except for minor grooming purposes, aren’t shaving for the entire month. As their facial hair grows, it serves as a conversation starter about men’s health and about prostate and testicular cancer in particular.
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Our Government Affairs team participating in Movember.
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The National Cancer Institute estimates nearly 250,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year. The Prostate Specific Antigen test, or PSA test, remains one of the most effective weapons in the fight against prostate cancer as early detection can significantly boost survival rates, especially in men under the age of 65.
At UC San Diego Health, our physician-scientists continue to raise the bar on treating prostate cancer.
“Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer death for American men,” said Christopher Kane, MD, chief of Urology at UC San Diego Health. “At UC San Diego we are dedicated to providing the best possible personalized care for men with prostate cancer, from understanding how aggressive their cancer is and providing the highest quality surgery (nerve sparing robotic prostatectomy), and radiation therapy (brachytherapy and dose escalated IMRT) to the best clinical trials to test new treatments. We are also conducting basic research to understand how cancer spreads and what new therapies we will be using in the years ahead.”
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Fernando Mares sporting his moustache
for men's health.
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While rates for new cases of testicular cancer are lower than prostate—below 10,000 per year—it’s the most common cancer in men 15 to 34 years of age. For this reason, it’s important that men know the risks factors, such as having an undescended testicle or a family history of testicular cancer, and what they should look for, such as unusual lumps in the testicles. Testicular cancer is curable but, as with many cancers, early detection is important for survival rates.
Movember originated in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 when two friends decided to bring the moustache back into fashion. From its humble beginnings of 30 participants and zero dollars raised, Movember quickly became a global success. By 2011, Movember established formal fundraising campaigns in 14 countries and has raised almost $300 million.
Related Specialties
Prostate Cancer
Urology