November Azul celebrated ten years in Brazil, warns of men’s health

Originating in Australia in 2003 and held in Brazil since 2011, the November Azul Movement has completed a decade on the national soil. Novembro Azul has been designed in the country by the Instituto Lado a Lado pela Vida (LAL), with the support of the Brazilian Urological Society, and aims to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis of prostate cancer and, more recently, also to connect with the concern of men the need to take care of their health as a whole and to conduct Periodic medical examinations.

According to the National Cancer Institute (Inca), prostate cancer is the second most common type of prostate cancer in men, after non-melanoma skin cancer. In 2020 alone, 65,840 new cases were estimated in the country. In addition, since the disease is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, the mortality rate is high, with more than 15,000 deaths annually in Brazil.

According to data from a recent survey released by LAL, 62% of Brazilian men only seek medical care when they develop intolerable symptoms. In other words, most males in the country are not accustomed to taking periodic examinations. However, to contain the progression of prostate cancer, there is no doubt: overcoming prejudice and the search for early diagnosis is essential.

For Dr. Victor Augusto McCall, a urologist with the AmorSaúde network, regular check-ups are essential because prostate cancer is initially a silent disease, with no signs or symptoms. Thus, a significant part of neoplasms is identified only at an advanced stage. “For this reason, it is necessary to have an annual preventive examination, because, at first, it is only detected by a PSA examination, palpation and ultrasound,” explains the urologist.

Although a significant portion of the male population continues to resist seeking health care, Dr. Victor McCall notes that this scenario is changing. “Men are now seeking to care more about their health than in previous years, to overcome prejudices and taboos. With the implementation of campaigns like November Blue, we have seen an increase in demand for preventive prostate cancer screenings,” notes the doctor.

As a way to support the Blue November campaign, AmorSaúde, a network of popular clinics in Brazil, warns of the importance of taking care of men’s health, in an integrated way, facilitating access to counseling and testing related to men’s health. For more information, simply access: https://amorsaude.com.br/novembroazul/