Family Practice Vol. 18, No. 4, 463-464
© Oxford University Press 2001
General practice perspective on cancer services
Department of General Practice, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, Tooting, London SW17 0RE, UK
Gorman et al. found that 85% of responding general practices in Lothian provided patient information about cancer prevention.1 Testicular cancer is the commonest cancer in young men, is easily diagnosable by testicular self-examination and 96% curable if detected early.2 However, previous surveys3,4 suggest that many men are unaware of testicular cancer and only 9% practice regular testicular self-examination.
As a pilot study for an investigation of testicular cancer awareness in general practice, we conducted a questionnaire survey in first year medical students at St George's Hospital Medical School. In March 2000, brief, confidential questionnaires were handed out to all 93 male medical students attending a physiology lecture. Response rate was 100%. Mean age of responders was 19.6 (range 18–36 years). Forty-nine per cent described their ethnicity as white, 47% Asian, 1% Afro-Caribbean and 3% other ethnic groups. Ninety-six per cent were aware of testicular cancer but only 15% had heard of any testicular cancer awareness campaign. Thirty-four per cent stated that they practised testicular self-examination but only 19% did so on at least a monthly basis. Of those who practised testicular self-examination, 68% had received instructions from either their family doctor or practice nurse—"feeling for lumps and irregularities".
Although Gorman et al. asked whether practices provided patient posters and information leaflets, they did not identify to which cancers these related. If even medical students are unaware of the importance of testicular self-examination, our results suggest leaflets on testicular cancer should be included.
References
1
Gorman DR, Mackinnon H, Storrie M, Wilson G, Parker S. The general practice perspective on cancer services in Lothian. Fam Pract 2000; 17: 323–328.
2 Henderson BE. Risk factors for cancer of the testis in young men. Int J Cancer 1979; 23: 598–602.[Web of Science][Medline]
3 Thornhill JA, Conroy RM, Kelly DG, Walsh A, Fennelly JJ, Fitzpatrick JM. Public awareness of testicular cancer and the value of self-examination. Br Med J 1986; 293: 480–481.
4 Desma R. Men's knowledge and health beliefs about testicular cancer and testicular self-examination. Cancer Nurs 1988; 11: 112–117.[Web of Science][Medline]
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