By Brandon Leonard, MA

Although summer break for many Americans is inconceivably more than half over, there are still many vacations, barbeques and outdoor games to be had. While you’re enjoying the sunshine, make sure you’re being nice to your skin. This is of particular concern to men, who on average spend more time outdoors for both work and play than women. Unfortunately, men also appear to be less aware of the risks of sun exposure and do less to protect themselves when they’re outside. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, white men over 50 are the demographic with the highest rate of skin cancer, and men in general are less like to take precautions or to quickly deal with skin issues when they do develop. Do men just care less about taking care of themselves? The results of a 2006 study about the prevalence of sun-care products in popular U.S. magazines suggests that part of the issue is simply lack of awareness. Analyzing summer issues of the magazines, the researchers found that 77% of advertising for sunscreen and similar products occurred in women’s magazines, while publications targeting men such as outdoor recreation magazines included such ads only once every six issues on average. There’s a self-perpetuating cycle of public perception that men don’t care as much about their health, and then less information targeting men with products and suggestions that can help them avoid serious health issues.

I’m not suggesting that sunscreen is the ultimate solution to skin diseases such as melanoma. But certainly, using the appropriate kind and amount of these products is one of the best ways to protect yourself if you’re going to be outside. Other simple suggestions: don’t leave home without a hat and sunglasses, and when possible wear a long-sleeve shirt to better protect your arms (wear sunscreen anyway). For some helpful tips on when, where and what type of sunscreen to use, take a look at this page from the Skin Cancer Foundation: http://www.skincancer.org/sunscreens-explained.html. One important note is that clouds don’t keep all of the sun’s rays from reaching your skin – so get in the habit of wearing some sunscreen daily, no matter what the weather is like. Equally important is being aware of changes in your skin such as moles and sores that could be symptomatic of cancer or other serious diseases. Some helpful tips on what to look for can be found here: http://www.skincancer.org/Self-Examination/. When you spot changes or irregularities, be sure to see a doctor right away. Finally, help your family and friends by encouraging them to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun and to perform regular self-examinations to catch any problems early. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and don’t forget to take care of your skin!

References:

“Men and Skin Cancer: Solving the Knowledge Gap.” The Skin Cancer Foundation. 2010. http://www.skincancer.org/Self-Examination/.

“BU dermatology study says sunscreen advertising doesn’t reach men.” BU Today. June 7, 2006. http://www.bu.edu/today/node/1569

By Dr. Michael J Rovito
CHECK THIS POST OUT ON SCRIBD

The following post is paraphrased from one of my recent guest lectures. It sparked enormous debate and I was very pleased to see college students taking the initiative to discuss their health among peers. Although the topic was testicular cancer and testicular self-examination, I told the females in the class to parallel the discussion to breast cancer and breast self-examination.

…and so the lecture/discussion began:

Would you rather feel a strange bump on your testicle, get anxious and worried, make an appointment (still stressed out, mind you), go to your physician and have him/her perform a manual examination on your testicles and have them tell you it’s nothing (a false positive), or would you rather not even think about your testicular health and not screen yourself, or get screened, for cancer? Let’s face it, statistically you have a very slim chance of developing the disease so why would you even worry yourself over something that could be absolutely nothing?

Perhaps for false positive cases a trip to the physician might cost you a co-pay and your insurance company a couple hundred dollars for the 30 minute visit. But as long as you do not have cancer, all is good. Right? On the other hand, what if you did not perform regular testicular self-examinations or, if you did, you did not perform it thoroughly? Perhaps you may have missed something. You would think you don’t have cancer as you feel no lumps. Maybe even you refuse to realize you are vulnerable and therefore have no reason to perform self-screening. But again, what if you actually do have the disease but you believe that you don’t (false negative)?

So back to the original question, would you rather have some anxiety and worry about whether or not you have cancer because you felt a lump on your testicle erroneously or would you rather ignore or misperceive possible symptoms (lumps, heaviness in the groin, etc) and believe you do not have testicular cancer when actually you do?

…after some initial reactions from the students, I continued:

Testicular is nicknamed the “hurricane cancer” for a reason. The tumor usually doubles in size over the course of a few weeks. So the answer to your question should be pretty clear. You would probably want to be a bit more involved with your bodily health and understand what the warning signs are for the disease. If you look at Lance Armstrong’s situation, all signs and symptoms were not paid proper homage. When he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, it was already metastasized to his lungs and brain. He was only given approximately a 40 to 50% chance of survival. If you catch testicular cancer in its early stages, your chance of recovery is 99%. Do the math.

…again, more debate followed. At this point I was surprised at the passionate exchange of ideas. Perhaps traditional barriers of modesty and embarrassment to discuss such topics among not only other men, but females as well (and vice versa), are being eroded. I concluded with the following:

Men need to understand their health is indeed at risk. Under no circumstances should a man be uninformed of what those risks are and what he can do to limit them. Although risks rise and fall with certain demographic variables, generally a man should understand his body and how to achieve and maintain healthiness. Just because you are a man does not give you a free pass to get out of unhealthy situations. In fact, the traditional societal roles imposed onto men can indeed put them more at risk. You’re a human. You are going to get sick at some point in your life. Some people more than others. However, you have the power to help shape your health outcomes. So if the question of whether you would prefer a false positive or false negative (in the case of testicular cancer), you would probably rather be more safe than sorry.

…I left the discussion pleased. Maybe students are being more efficacious with their health and well-being. That’s indeed something positive to hear amidst the endless stream of bad news we experience every day from our cable news channels, particularly what’s been going on in the Gulf of Mexico and Afghanistan.

——–

Blurb about today’s Guest Blogger:

Michael J Rovito received his M.A. in Geography and Ph.D. in Public Health from Temple University in Philadelphia. Michael currently is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Temple University. His research specializes in health behavior change, men’s health, and audience segmentation. His most recent research developed the “Control Identity” Personality Typology that aims to assist health education and intervention efforts for tailoring messaging strategies. Michael is a Fellow of the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making, the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, and the Information Technology in Society Research Group. His interests include military and World War II history, outdoor sports, and political strategy.

CHECK THIS POST OUT ON SCRIBD

By Ramon P. Llamas, MPH

Do women make better doctors?  A recent editorial by Pauline Chen, M.D. in the New York Times posed this thought-provoking question, which led me to recall my previous experiences with physicians of both genders.  It is an interesting concept when you think about it.  So many of the same qualities that mothers generally have – caring, compassion and a nurturing spirit – were possessed by many of the women doctors that I have interacted with.  I won’t go so far as to say that I prefer a female physician over a male, but just based on past experiences, I felt more comfortable when cared for by a female physician.  And while research studies do support the theory that female doctors are considered “better” in the patient’s perspective, the literature also indicates that the patient’s gender also plays an important role.  Dr. Chen indicates that female patients had particular expectations depending on their physician’s gender.  For example, when seen by female physicians, they reported satisfaction when physicians expressed great concern and empathy during the visit.  In contrast, female patients were more satisfied with male physicians who did not overtly show concern or empathy.  Male patients, on the other hand reported satisfaction, regardless of the physician’s gender.  Moreover, female patients were more likely to engage in discussions with their physician regarding their illness compared to their male counterparts.

What does all this actually mean?  Dr. Chen hopes this research serves as a learning opportunity for male students in medical school in order to be as effective in dealing with patients of both genders.  From the patient’s perspective, male health can improve drastically by being as proactive as females are when dealing with health matters.  From my experience working at various health fairs and events while at Men’s Health Network, women were more likely to engage in health-related discussions and participate in free health screenings compared to men.  As May comes to an end, June provides men with a great opportunity.  The entire month in June features local events available to men nationwide in order to raise their awareness on male-specific health concerns.  Men’s Health Network compiles a list of activities from its affiliates across the country in a calendar found on its website, which you can find here.

Men, now is the time to focus on your health.  Much like investing money to prepare for retirement, we should invest in our health now so that we can equally enjoy life in the future.

If you have any ideas, suggestions or want to share your past experiences, please contact me at ramonl@menshealthnetwork.net.

By Ramon P. Llamas, MPH

First of all, Happy New Year!

USA Today featured a comprehensive story on college football coaches and their total salaries (breakdowns of base salaries and bonuses, etc.) in early November. The highest paid coaches in 2009 lead the most prestigious football programs in the country, including Pete Carroll of Southern California, Bob Stoops of Oklahoma and Urban Meyers of Florida, among others. The aforementioned coaches made at least $4 million dollars in total salary in 2009 (access the full list here). $4 million. A salary of $4 million is higher than most professions, but unfortunately the pressures of receiving such a salary can take their toll. Urban Meyer, for example, recently resigned from his coaching job at the University of Florida due to recent health problems, in which Meyer lost consciousness and was admitted to the hospital. Fortunately for Meyer, there was no heart damage. But he had been experiencing chest pains for the past two years. He reportedly lost 20 pounds during a 10-day period around the SEC title game against arch-rival Alabama. A competitive drive and relentlessness such as Meyer’s are shared, to some degree, by many. It is this same drive that leads to burn out and potential health problems. It is important to be aware of warning signs and symptoms and to discuss any concerns with a physician. Take note of changes and the duration of those changes. For example, weight loss in the past 10 days resulting from a loss of appetite. It is important that each of us takes a more proactive role in maintain our health and well-being, both physically and mentally. Physicians cannot be relied upon to solve all of our health care problems; their job is done more accurately and efficiently when we are fully engaged and assist them in the process.
For this new year, I encourage each of you to reflect on what your health means to you. Remember that health is a resource for living. It is our vehicle to enjoy all that life has to offer, whether it’s traveling, sports, cooking, music or the arts. I wish each of you a healthy and prosperous 2010!

If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line at ramonl@menshealthnetwork.net.

By Luke Manley

We, as a species, seem to spend a great deal of time blaming others for our problems and nowhere is this truer than when referring to health.  Whether it is patients blaming doctors, doctors blaming government, government blaming insurance companies, the finger is always pointed at someone else.  This is something that needs to change.  Refreshingly, we’ve heard a lot from our current president about personal responsibility, especially regarding men taking responsibility for their families, children, and their health.  Well in honor of President Obama and our new Era of Responsibility I have something that will help you to do all three at once.

There has been a lot in the news recently about the human papillomavirus or HPV.  Maybe you’ve heard that it has no effect in men and that it’s only a disease that has consequences in women. The first problem with that line of thinking is that it’s just flat out wrong.  HPV is currently one of the most widespread viral diseases, with research from the Guttmacher Institute estimating there are 5.5 million new cases per year, that the virus accounts for one-third of all new STD infections, and that almost 75% of people between the ages of 15 and 49 have contracted the disease at some point.  According to the CDC, there are in fact over 40 strains of sexually transmissible HPV (more than 100 altogether), many of which can cause a number of serious health problems in men, including genital warts and penile and anal cancers.  Those are frightening statistics.  However, it is indeed true that existing research has shown that for the vast majority of men, infection with the HPV virus shows no signs or symptoms and will most likely carry no direct consequences.  Genital warts are rare, with only 1% of American men infected and penile and anal cancers only affecting 1 in every 100,000 men.  So that is good news, right?  Nothing to worry about?  Wrong.

The second issue with the not-my-problem approach to HPV is of course that as any man who has ever been in a serious relationship knows, regardless of what your woman’s crisis is, it ultimately becomes your problem as well.  Remember, as 21^st Century men we are more knowledgeable, concerned, worldly, and with a greater emotional range than our fathers and grandfathers.  This is important because while it might be of little personal consequence, HPV has tremendous effects on the health and well-being of our wives, mothers, girlfriends, sisters, and daughters. Left untreated, chronic HPV infection has shown to have an indisputable link to the development of cervical cancer in women.  Just in the United States alone, the American Cancer Society estimates that each year over 12,000 cases will be reported and more than 4,000 women will die due to cervical cancer.  As the U.S. is a diverse nation and to avoid ethnocentrism it is equally as important to note that the number skyrockets when you look outside the U.S.  Globally, cervical is the 3^rd most common cancer and will strike nearly half a million women and kill almost a quarter of a million.  The Guttmacher Institute found that 80-85% of these deaths occur in developing nations and most often in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.

So this is the point where you may be a little confused.  There is no test for you to determine whether or not you have HPV and even if you knew your infection status, the vaccine is not approved for your use.  Additionally, the only surefire way to avoid spreading the virus is to not have sex, so how can you help?  Given the rates of infection mentioned previously, the best step you can take is to simply take responsibility for the fact that you most likely are infected (and if you’ve ever had a cold-sore you definitely are). Encourage the women in your life to get routine Pap screenings if she is under 30 years old and the HPV test also if she is 30 or older.  The worst crime is that, for women, detection of HPV infection is reliable, cheap, simple, and effective (90%) in identifying warning signs of early-stage cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia (precancerous cervical cells).  These screenings, known as Pap tests have been responsible for a 74% reduction in cervical cancer deaths.  Beyond that it should be obvious for enlightened Era-of-Responsibility-Man; limit your sexual partners and choose those who do so as well, avoid sexual contact if you do have visible warts, and for goodness sakes wear a condom.  While it is not as effective against HPV as it is against other STDs, it still works and honestly if you’re still not using a condom, there’s little hope for your joining those of us in the 21^st Century.  Feel free to ward off HPV through grunting, pounding your chest, and throwing your excrement.  Let us know how it works.

“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world…”

-       President Barack Obama

The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy

August 2003, Volume 6, Number 3. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/06/3/gr060304.html

HPV and Men: CDC Fact Sheet. 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/HPV&Men-Fact-Sheet.pdf

The digene HPV test: FAQs for Men. 2009. http://www.thehpvtest.com/About-HPV/FAQs-for-Men.html

by Brandon Leonard

This past weekend, the Prostate Cancer Research Institute held its annual conference in Los Angeles, hosting over a dozen experts on prostate health and 600 participants.  According to PCRI volunteers, the purpose of the conference is to provide an avenue for those with prostate cancer and their loved ones to get more information about managing the disease.  The theme of this year’s event was “Making a Positive Impact on Quality of Life,” and among the topics discussed were the benefits and pitfalls of interventions such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and hormone therapy.  Understanding effective diet choices and dealing with erectile dysfunction as a consequence of certain treatment options were also highlights of the agenda.  Throughout the weekend, attendees were encouraged to ask specific questions of the speakers. 

It was also evident that this conference is a gathering place for support, where old friends and new ones have come to share their stories with each other – sometimes just to talk to someone who understands, and sometimes to share information that may be useful to another.  Many of these men have joined support groups in their own communities and have been strengthened by the understanding that they do not need to go through this alone.  Indeed, this is one of the big issues that men suffering from prostate cancer – and other health issues – must overcome.  We are not trained to seek help, but to solve problems in isolation.  On the other hand, drawing on the resources, knowledge and care of others – whether they be friends, family, medical professionals or those who simply understand what we are going through – is what gets both men and women through their most difficult health and life challenges.

Not coincidentally, the PCRI conference is held during September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.  One of the big messages I heard from those who stopped at the MHN table during this event was that men need to start thinking about their prostate health – and their health in general – at a much earlier age than they do now.  One of our goals in educating men about their health must be to reach them with effective information and support, early and often, so that these messages stay with them as they mature. 

Those present at the event are certainly doing their best to get these messages across.  Since its founding in 1998, PCRI has contributed to a significant increase in the number of doctors involved in prostate cancer research, as well as public education about the disease.  The organization offers a quarterly newsletter with new developments in prostate cancer research, as well as a helpline for patients who need some support finding the right resources.  Their website, which includes a wealth of information about prostate cancer, can be found at http://www.prostate-cancer.org/. 

A recent posting on Boston.com has stated that melanoma on the scalp and neck are the most deadly types of skin cancer (click here). This is a big concern for many men who have higher rates of melanoma than women do. Men can be very reluctant to use sunscreen or wide brimmed hats when they are in the sun. Sunscreen is often an after thought and applied too late to provide proper protection. To help limit the number of people who develop skin cancer, preventative care like healthy sun exposure behaviors should be used. These behaviors should start very early in life and continue throughout adulthood. People need to take more responsibility for their own health. Knowing the A,B,C’s of skin cancer can also be beneficial to you and your healthcare provider. More often than not, even a small spot on your skin can be just as deadly as a large noticeable one. Any changes in moles should be reported to a healthcare provider or physician.

The Chicagotribune.com posted an article regarding elderly drinkers putting their lives at risk by consuming more than the recommend amount of alcohol for their age (click here for article). The elderly group has been defined as those over the age of 65. The concern is that alcohol can cause greater problems for those suffering from dementia, depression, balance issues, and mixing it with prescription drugs.

When it comes to alcohol consumption, what is the best way to determine if an elderly person has a drinking problem? Is alcohol use harder to detect in the elderly population than the younger population? Do people understand the risks involved when they mix medications with alcohol? Are they provided with the support and resources needed to seek help if a problem is suspected? The author of the article pointed out that health-care professionals should be aware of the symptoms so that they can screen for heavy drinkers in the elderly population. Health-care providers can provide resources for those who may have a tendency to over indulge on alcohol in a manor that can be detrimental to their life.

Also, those who care for older adults need to be provided with educational resources on how they can help reduce the risk of over consumption of alcohol in older adults. It was also mentioned in the article that there are a limited number of outpatient programs that target older adults who are seeking treatment. This is an issue that is going to grow as the population ages. Preventative education now can help reduce this problem and help keep it under control.