Are you male and over 50?

Posted 07/10/2013

Men aged over 50 are less likely to know the symptoms of serious diseases than women according to a recent survey by Saga, a well-known organisation focusing on this age group.

In a survey of over 11,000 men and women aged 50 and above, 41% of men surveyed said they were unaware of the symptoms of prostate cancer. Only 55% of men said they were aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer, compared with 72% of women. They are also less likely to take part in the NHS bowel cancer screening programme.
Men were also less likely than women to know the symptoms of lung cancer, skin cancer, arthritis and dementia while 82% of women surveyed said they knew the symptoms of breast cancer.

The survey also asked what makes people go to their GP. Men whose partners or children put pressure on them to get a check-up were more likely to see a doctor.

The survey found that men were most likely to go and see their GP when they found blood in their urine (82%) or in their stool (78%) and when they felt severe pain (74%). These were all important triggers for women to see their doctor too. But men (59%) were much less likely than women (80%) to go to the GP when they found a new lump in their body.

Julie Crossley, a medical injury specialist at Ashtons Legal, comments: “NHS resources are under increasing pressure and there are a growing number of reported cases of delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. The more people who are aware of the early signs of serious illnesses, and seek advice rather than ignoring symptoms, the better the chances of starting to treat an illness at an early stage and saving lives.”