Prostate test stereotypes hit bum note

Campaign assures men PSA test for cancer is simple... and not invasive

- BY OWEN CONLON

IT'S the staple of many movie gags, but a cancer charity is highlighting that a doctor snapping on a rubber glove is no longer part of the test for prostate cancer.

The Marie Keating Foundation's ‘No Bum Hole Needed’ campaign is aimed at convincing men that no uncomfortable invasive procedure is required to diagnose the disease.

Some 4,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Ireland every year, and 620 still die from it annually.

Yet when caught early, prostate cancer is highly treatable, with survival rates exceeding 93 per cent.

The campaign during September's Prostate Cancer Awareness Month takes a bold, humorous approach to breaking down stigma, encouraging conversations and prompting men to take a simple first step: a chat with their GP about a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test.

Ads will play on longstanding misconceptions about prostate checks, reassuring men that initial testing may be simple and quick.