New Research As Teddy Sheringham Launches New Advert
30 March 2009
Britain’s leading scientists have found the survival rate for testicular cancer is on the increase with 20 per cent more cancer cases being caught in the first stage of the disease.
The announcement comes as football legend Teddy Sheringham launches the Keep Your Eye on the Ball focus fortnight which aims to raise awareness of testicular cancer in the sporting community.
The research found that testicular cancer survival in England and Wales had risen to 97 per cent up two per cent and that more than 77 per cent of men have been diagnosed in the first stage, up from 57 per cent.
Dr Robert Huddart from The Everyman Male Cancer Research Centre says early diagnosis is key to survival and the research shows that fewer men are being diagnosed after the cancer has spread.
“Most of the recent improvement in survival is likely due to men knowing the symptoms of testicular cancer, leading to early diagnosis,” said Dr Huddart.
“Certainly campaigns such as Everyman have played an important role in alerting men to the symptoms and encouraging them to seek medical advice early.
“More men are being diagnosed in the first stage of testicular cancer, before the cancer has spread, resulting in treatment being extremely effective. We are finding that the average size of tumours at diagnosis has halved to just 2.5 centimetres making it much easier to treat.”
Former England striker Teddy Sheringham is the face of this year’s Keep Your Eye on the Ball campaign - a partnership between Everyman, The FA and PFA. He stars in a cheeky new commercial aimed at men to keep their testicles in check. The advert will be played in premiership stadiums throughout the awareness fortnight (30 March - 12 April).
“This research shows it’s important for blokes to take notice of their prized balls and if they notice something wrong to seek medical help immediately,” Sheringham says.
Everyman supporter and testicular cancer survivor Hull City FC keeper Matt Duke welcomes the latest research.
“The improvement in survival would bring great comfort to the men currently battling testicular cancer,” he says.
“This highlights the importance of raising awareness of this disease through campaigns such as Everyman and Keep Your Eye on the Ball and also the need to fund vital research into the causes and treatment.”
Duke was diagnosed with testicular cancer in January last year and is now in remission.
Dr Huddart says testicular cancer is a success story in the field of cancer, but there are still some major challenges to overcome.
“Testicular cancer incidence has increased two-fold in the past 30 years and we are trying to gain an understanding of the cause of this,” he says.
“We have made significant advancements in the treatment of testicular cancer, but these treatments do include side-effects such as an increased risk of heart attack death and other cancers later in life. We may be winning the battle, but we must work harder to minimise side-effects to avoid losing the war on this disease.”
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged between 15 and 44 with more than 2,000 men diagnosed in the UK each year.
Video: To see Sheringham in action visit www.keepyoureyeontheball.org
The research relates to two articles published in the British Journal of Cancer:
Survival from testicular cancer in England and Wales
Commentary on the above paper.
