Marie Keating Foundation Launch new website to get men talking getmentalking.ie

March 1st signals the start of Men’s Health Month 2010 for the Marie Keating Foundation, supported by Marks & Spencer.

The Foundation’s month-long campaign was first held in March 2005 and since then has grown in size and impact. The campaign focuses on men and their wellbeing in reducing their risk of developing cancer.

One in nine Irish men are at risk of developing prostate cancer, one in nineteen are at risk of developing bowel cancer and one in two hundred and five are at risk in relation to testicular cancer.

Armed with the knowledge that men are increasingly unlikely to visit a doctor or engage with the health services, the Foundation has decided to develop a campaign which aims to literally “Get Men Talking”. Getmentalking.ie has been developed to specifically focus on men’s cancer. With the use of YouTube and Facebook, the Foundation’s hope is to encourage more men to talk about their health. On the website men can ‘ask the expert’, talk to one another, post content to the site and access information on the various types of men’s cancer. During the month the Foundation will also host a men’s health lunch, attending will be medical experts and celebrities all united with the same message – get men talking! Throughout the month their community information service will be focussed on men’s health. It will be visiting men’s groups and workplaces bringing with them the message of early detection and the benefits of talking about your health.

“Using the latest digital technology through a dedicated website is our approach in encouraging men to tell their stories in a safe and non-threatening way” said Lillian McGovern, she continued “power of this channel of communication cannot be underestimated and our hope is that many men will engage with us using this method”.

Ambassadors for the campaign to “Get Men Talking” are Ronan Keating, who launched the campaign, with the support of Marks and Spencer. Information on men’s cancer will be made available through Marks & Spencer stores throughout the month of March and merchandise will be on sale in-store. Gerry Ryan has supported the campaign recording a radio advertisement which will air throughout the month of March.

It is hoped that men will log on to the site during the month to take part in this campaign. To encourage men to log on, the Foundation will be running online advertising and doing online ‘give-aways’ to encourage traffic onto the site. Lillian went on to say that “We believe that the real ambassadors for this campaign are real Irish men telling their stories and sharing experiences and where better to do it than at www.getmentalking.ie”.

ENDS

Men’s cancer statistics:
Testicular Cancer:
Testicular cancer is a growth or tumor which appears on one of the testicles.

Over 90% of diagnoses are in men less than 50 years old, meaning that testicular cancer is a cancer which affects mostly young men.

Testicular cancer will affect 1 in every 205 men in Ireland.

It has the highest survival rate of all cancers is over 96%*.

Prostate Cancer:
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate gland. Situated close to the rectum, it is involved in the production of fluids made to carry sperm.

Prostate cancer will affect approximately 1 in every 9 men over the course of a lifetime.

Over 75% of diagnoses are in men older than 65 years of age. This cancer rarely affects men under the age of 50.

The good news about prostate cancer is the survival rate has jumped from 60%* to almost 80%* in the past few years.

Bowel Cancer:
Bowel cancer is cancer of the large intestine - colon and rectum. The incidences of bowel cancer are higher in countries where the diet is low fibre and high fat, family history is also a factor.

The most common symptoms of bowel cancer:
• blood in the stools,
• a change in normal bowel habit,
• unexplained weight loss,
• pain in abdomen or rectum or
• a feeling of not having emptied your bowel properly after a movement.

In Ireland there is a 1 in 19 chance of developing bowel cancer and the risk increase as you get older.

Over 90% of diagnoses are in people over the age of 50.

The survival rate for bowel cancer is approx. 50%*.

*based on a 5 year relative survival rate

About the Foundation
Following their mother Marie’s death in 1998 each member of the Keating family promised that they would do everything they could to bring an end to breast cancer. They committed to provide all women and their families with the necessary information to prevent cancer or detect it at its earliest stages. Their collective aim was to “enlighten not frighten”. The Marie Keating Foundation is the realisation of a family’s dedication – it is a promise to themselves in action. Through three mobile information units the Foundation’s dedicated nurses have enlightened over 105,000 people of the causes and risk factors of breast and other cancers. “Men Keeping Fit” is now a successful annual campaign and has significantly raised awareness among men of testicular and prostate cancer.

The Foundation finances other areas of need in cancer care. Monies raised help to refurbish hospital oncology waiting rooms in making them more comfortable for patients. A comfort fund for those in financial difficulty as a result of their illness provides immediate assistance, when required. The Foundation is committed to raising awareness among young people in schools of cancer and its prevention. The Foundation provides its services free of charge.

For more information contact:

Sinead Kavanagh
WHPR
01 6690030 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Fiona Heffernan
The Marie Keating Foundation
01 6283726 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it