Men's Healthcare - Q3 2022 by Mediaplanet UK&IE

Q3 2022 | A promotional supplement distributed on behalf of Mediaplanet, which takes sole responsibility for its content

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Men with prostate cancer recovering faster than ever before thanks to robotic surgery Robotic surgery is helping to cure thousands of men with prostate cancer across the UK every year, allowing them to return to normal life faster than ever before.

O WRITTEN BY Benjamin Lamb Consultant Urologist, Barts Health NHS Trust, on behalf of the British Association of Urological Surgeons Section of Oncology

ver 92% of men undergoing curative surgery for prostate cancer in 2021 benefitted from robotic surgery, one of the highest rates in the world – with almost 7,000 robotic prostatectomy operations carried out last year in England and Wales. Improved recovery The robot is operated by specially trained surgeons and removes the prostate cancer from deep within the patient through several small abdominal incisions. Not only is this a quicker operation, but there is also reduced blood loss, fewer complications and less pain, meaning that patients recover quickly from their surgery. Before the introduction of robotic surgery, an open operation was typically performed, requiring a hospital stay of up to five days.

Although in the UK there is no policy to screen men for prostate cancer, men who are concerned about their risk should talk to their GPs about having a blood test. Specialist cancer centres The robotic systems that make a rapid recovery possible can cost up to £4 million, but the treatment is provided free on the National Health Service. The widespread adoption of robotic surgery across the UK is thanks to the organisation of the NHS. By bringing specialist cancer surgeons and patients together in high numbers at specialist cancer centres, the technology becomes cost-effective. Robotic surgery for prostate cancer has been a part of the NHS Covid-19 recovery. With patients able to go home the next day, bed spaces are freed up, so more patients can be treated, which helps to reduce waiting lists and cancelled operations. Testing for prostate cancer Among men in the UK, prostate cancer is the commonest cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer death. Contrary to popular belief, READ MORE AT HEALTHAWARENESS.CO.UK

most men with prostate cancer have no symptoms of the disease. Men more at risk of prostate cancer are Black men and those who have a history of prostate cancer in their immediate family. Other risk factors include obesity and those carrying rare genetic mutations, known as BRCA genes. Although in the UK there is no policy to screen men for prostate cancer, men who are concerned about their risk should talk to their GPs about having a blood test – the PSA test – which helps to diagnose prostate cancer at an earlier stage, when it is more effectively treated.

Lifesaving research By increasing awareness about prostate cancer among men across the UK, improving access to diagnostic tests, and offering the most advanced treatments, we can save lives, improve recovery after prostate cancer treatment and reassure men who don’t have the disease.

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Our continuous commitment to cancer patients Joe Dunford, Accord Healthcare’s Vice President for speciality brands, leads on new branded medicines and launching innovative treatments. Here, he discusses how the company is supporting advancements in the treatment of cancer.

INTERVIEW WITH Joseph Dunford Vice President Speciality Brands EMENA, Accord Healthcare SPREAD WRITTEN BY Mark Nicholls

What role are you playing in tackling cancer? As a major oncology company, we now have a huge responsibility to serve patients here. Investment in cancer is something that we are committed to at Accord. We already have over 40 different cancer-related treatments across our portfolio. Across Europe, we supply a third of all injectable oncology treatments and are one of the largest suppliers of chemotherapy. We are also in the process of opening up a new research and development facility in the UK to continue to develop our knowledge and capabilities. How is the existing range of cancer treatments evolving? We are very proud of what we do, but we are also continually committed to doing more. We will continue to expand our range with differentiated — but also accessible and affordable — medicines, with the aim of helping patients and healthcare professionals to improve disease management and outcomes. Our ambition as a company is to ‘make it better’ for patients and physicians, and that inspires us daily.

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How can innovations help improve treatments for cancer patients? There are a number of ways in which we are exploring innovations to help make treatments easier for patients. That can involve looking to make treatments less invasive and fit better into people’s lives, such as having them at home or closer to home, making them easier to take and reducing side effects. Ultimately, we want people to take their medication as required and, if you can make that easier for them, then outcomes should also improve. We have a particular current focus on prostate cancer, given that it is the most common cancer for men in the UK and across Europe and is on the increase as the population gets older, so we see a real patient need for further innovation here. What is in the development pipeline? Oncology is our fastest growing pipeline in terms of generics and

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branded medicine. We have a further 15 molecules under development for oncology with a key focus on the most common tumour types, such as breast, prostate and haematological cancers, as well as in supportive care. We want to help patients at every step of their cancer treatment journey. What drives this desire to help tackle cancer? Most of us will know somebody who has had cancer and I’m no different. So many lives are affected by it, so our goal is to keep innovating, intending to improve the current standard of care and help people living with cancer and the healthcare professionals who are treating them whether this is from the development of new products or digital health tools to support their cancer journey. How are you tackling innovation challenges? Our commitment involves having ongoing and active dialogues: discussions with medical teams, healthcare professionals, doctors and nurses, along with relevant patient groups who can directly represent the patient voice and experience. With them, we can identify what the challenges or limitations are with current therapies and what we can do and develop to try to make the patient journey or treatment pathway easier. Our commitment is to listen and problem solve. How do you liaise with patient groups? We are always open to working with patient advisory groups in a variety of different ways. They do such amazing work and are so critical in raising awareness of cancer, so people are aware of risks or symptoms and encouraged to speak with their doctor about any concerns. And these groups are incredibly helpful in supporting people when they do get a diagnosis, practically and psychologically. It is so important that people have a trusted and informed partner who understands what they are also going through, and someone to lean on during what can be a very frightening and lonely time.

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Men shouldn’t shy away from seeing their doctor at first signs that might be prostate cancer Referrals for prostate cancer fell during the coronavirus pandemic and, in February this year, Prostate Cancer UK estimated there could be 14,000 men living with undiagnosed prostate cancer because of this. Simon Cheesman, Head of Medical Affairs at Accord Healthcare, offers his perspective. Decrease in referrals “This was probably related to men being less likely to see their GP because they were worried about leaving the house, exposing themselves to Covid-19 by visiting a healthcare environment, or not wanting to burden an overstretched healthcare system. It’s important that men are now reassured that it is safe to visit their GP if they have signs or symptoms that they are concerned about, particularly if they have other risk factors for prostate cancer” explains Cheesman. Awareness programmes, such as Movember and activities by Prostate Cancer UK, had seen a pre-pandemic rise in men seeking advice and getting a diagnosis. Prostate cancer had then become the UK’s most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. But there is concern that the pandemic has set this progress back.

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Prostate cancer risk factors Cheesman, who is a former pharmacist and worked in cancer services in the NHS for two decades, says about one in eight men in the UK will develop prostate cancer, with numbers rising — primarily because people are living longer, and rates of screening and diagnosis are gradually increasing. The risk of prostate cancer increases as men get older, with the most common age for diagnosis between 70

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and 74 years old. It is more common in people of Black ethnicity; and there is also a genetic component so, if a man has a first-degree relative — a dad or brother — who has had a prostate cancer diagnosis, that also increases their risk.

The risk of prostate cancer increases as men get older, with the most common age for diagnosis between 70 and 74 years old. Early symptoms can include going to the toilet more often and weak urine flow, with later symptoms including blood in the urine or semen, back pain, weight loss or erectile dysfunction. Although, some men with early prostate cancer may not have any initial symptoms, so awareness of risk factors is also important. When to seek help There may be a reluctance in men to seek early help because of worries over a diagnosis, intrusive screening tests or a general taboo over talking about prostate cancer. Cheesman underlined the critical role of awareness

campaigns in addressing this by re-emphasising symptoms to watch for, alerting high-risk groups and making men and their partners aware of when they should go to the GP. With no national prostate screening programme in the UK, Cheesman said men should proactively seek help if they notice symptoms, particularly if they fall into a higher-risk group based on age, family history or ethnicity.

INTERVIEW WITH Simon Cheesman Head of Medical Affairs, Accord Healthcare

Support from partners “There may be a reluctance with some men to have health checks and a willingness to ignore or put up with bothersome symptoms. A partner who has awareness of the risk factors and what signs and symptoms to look out for may be able to help encourage them to get checked out with their GP,” he says. “The importance of seeking help is twofold: to pick up anything sinister at an early stage and, conversely, to provide reassurance and advice on management if there is a more benign cause of their symptoms.” For men diagnosed with prostate cancer, he emphasised the importance of support from a partner when it came to making decisions around treatment and dealing with feelings of anxiety or depression that may come with the diagnosis.

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Encouraging national change to promote equal facilities in all public toilets Bladder and bowel problems can have a devastating effect on quality of life and dignity, both for those who are dependant on others due to physical or mental disability, as well as people who are otherwise independent.

he all party parliamentary group (APPG) for Bladder and Bowel Continence Care has been supporting a campaign to ensure equality in men’s toilet facilities since November 2018. It recognises that it is a human right to have access to a private toilet with adequate facilities, as set out in the Human Right Act 1998.

WRITTEN BY Polly Weston Chair, Association of Continence Advice

Access to public toilet cubicles APPG continue to lobby for “Bins for Boys” and have been working with healthcare professionals and key influencers to encourage national change to promote equal facilities in all public toilets. A lack of access to men’s private public toilet with adequate facilities can be off putting and cause social isolation. We know that Covid-19 saw a rise in loneliness and social isolation and led to a seven minute briefing (Dec 2020) which focused on a rise in mental health issues as a result of loneliness. A call for evidence consolation outcome (July 2022) states that the government are encouraging local councils to open more public toilets following the Covid-19 lockdown. Local councils need to consider the duty of care to ensure methods

APPG continue to lobby for “Bins for Boys” and have been working with healthcare professionals and key influencers to encourage national change to promote equal facilities in all public toilets. of collecting waste are available and safely managed., according to the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Impact on mental health Bladder and bowel dysfunction remains a taboo topic, and that alone can cause social isolation and impact mental health. The true correlation between men’s isolation due to lack of adequate toilet facilities and mental health is unknown, but it remains a huge concern. I am thankful to APPG for supporting this important cause and I urge healthcare professionals, local authorities and the public to support and raise awareness to improve public toilet facilities for men.

Get back to feeling like yourself again by talking about male continence

You’ll find them easy to talk to and they will help ease any feelings of embarrassment on your part. Even young men sometimes leak a little bit. If it is becoming a regular problem for you, it is worth seeing what can be done to improve things at an early stage.

The experience of urinary incontinence for any man can be a very isolating experience.

used to being over-full. You may have other symptoms you have noticed such as having to dash to the toilet more frequently, a poor flow or abdominal discomfort.

How common it is Because men generally don’t discuss their continence problems (however minor), it can feel like you are the only man going through this. It may surprise you then to learn that between 3% to 11% of UK men experience involuntary leakage to some extent1, so you are not alone. A leaky bladder may develop for various reasons including postsurgical complications, an unstable or overactive bladder muscle and sometimes due to the bladder getting

Simple solutions The signs can creep up on you over several months or years, and it can become difficult to remember what ‘normal’ feels like. It’s not easy to know what to do in these situations, as chatting about your bladder dysfunction over a pint with your friends doesn’t exactly seem the usual thing to do. Rest assured, however, that male urinary incontinence is very common and, in most cases, it’s easy to find the cause and do something about it. The first step is to speak to your GP, nurse or other healthcare providers.

side from the discomfort and inconvenience that wearing pads and frequent underwear changes can cause, drips and dribbles may also bring feelings of embarrassment, humiliation and low self-esteem.

WRITTEN BY Sarah Hillery Vice President, The British Association of Urological Nurses and Urology York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Talk about it Often, small adjustments to lifestyle and medication can make all the difference, along with manoeuvres such as urethral milking to help resolve post-micturition dribble. For men who have had pelvic operations, there are a range of surgical procedures that can significantly improve incontinence if other conservative means have failed, so there is no need for any man to suffer in silence. If you recognise yourself, your friend, partner or family member in any of the symptoms discussed here, shame or stigma mustn’t stop you from reaching out to make a difference. Help is only a conversation away. References 1. Nitti VW. The prevalence of urinary incontinence. Rev Urol. 2001 The British Association of Urological Nurses provides education, networking and professional development opportunities for all healthcare professionals with a urological interest (including continence, community and cancer nurse specialists). See our website for more details baun.co.uk Bladder Health UK (bladderhealthuk.org) and Bladder and Bowel UK (bbuk. org.uk) are both excellent charities offering support and advice for a range of bladder conditions including male incontinence.

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Why healthy men do not turn their back on friendships Healthy male friendships provide meaning, joy and a sense of belonging — now well-understood protective factors against mental health issues, chronic physical health conditions and substance abuse. There’s only one problem: male friendship is in crisis.

ale friendship has been the butt of endless jokes across popular culture for its oft-perceived competitiveness, pack mentality, the need to always be doing something together and, of course, the ruthless banter. However, the reality is that male friendship has the potential to save and prolong lives. Keeping friends While modern self-help culture offers men everything from daily mantras to an all-meat diet to help relieve their issues, the thing that will really provide them with the most long-term benefit is right under their nose. It’s something we all take for granted every day which many of us don’t appreciate or work on as hard as we should. Despite all the good that mateship does, research tells us that as men age, they lose friends to the point where almost one in five middle-aged men say they lack even one close friend.

WRITTEN BY Dr Zac Seidler Director of Mental Health Training, Movember

Unfortunately, this means there are countless men across the country suffering in silence. Men’s hesitations For too long, men’s friendships haven’t been a priority. They’ve been seen as something we can live without, especially when the time between catch-ups grows. The group chat falls quiet, and the impetus to break the silence becomes replaced by a fear of awkwardness. Unfortunately, this means there are countless men across the country suffering in silence. Many of those men are the type who won’t put their hand up to ask for help until it’s too late — sometimes with tragic consequences for themselves or those around them. Promoting connections We are all hunting for connection, and we shouldn’t have to wait for adversity to really know our friends or for them to know us. Life is happening all around us, and we need to talk about the tough stuff. We must embrace and adapt to the changing tides, not rally against them. As a society, it’d do us all a lot of good.

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