Macmillan Cancer Support today (Tuesday 24 April) urges more men to get in touch for emotional, medical and financial support – as it revealed the number of women calling its helpline last year outweighed the number of male callers by almost two-and-a-half times.
Last year, in the UK, an average of 175 women called Macmillan’s support line per day compared to 76 men.
In 2017, only around 830 men from Wales called the support line. The charity now hopes to encourage even more men in Wales to get in touch, as part of its ‘Just Say the Word’ campaign, with partners from across the construction, home improvement and electrical sectors.
Richard Pugh, Head of Services for Macmillan Wales, said:
“A cancer diagnosis can turn lives upside down because it affects so many parts of our everyday life, such as health, finances and relationships.
“A cancer diagnosis can bring with it a wide number of emotions – anger, anxiety or mood swings – and how someone feels may change from day to day.
“Some men may feel quite isolated and unable to share their feelings and worries with their family and friends. Our free support line on 0800 808 0000 is there for men affected by cancer to talk about anything that is worrying them.
“The Macmillan Support Line is staffed by trained experts and offers people with cancer and their loved ones practical, clinical, financial and emotional support. We’re here to help and it’s crucial that men ask Macmillan for help before reaching crisis point.”
The other most common issues that men have called the helpline for include advice in accessing benefits, managing pain and support for their cancer treatment.
Macmillan reports that 49% of men diagnosed with cancer experience anxiety during treatment and 25% felt depressed when they were diagnosed.
In Wales, the numbers of people being diagnosed with cancer is on the rise. A total of 19,088 new cases of cancer were diagnosed and registered amongst the resident population of Wales in 2015. Of these, more than half, 9,837, registered were men.
Macmillan is encouraging more men to access the emotional support it offers. Professionals on the charity’s helpline are there to be a listening ear, and to signpost people to appropriate local services like counselling sessions or financial advice. Alternatively, people can log on to Macmillan’s Online Community if they would rather speak online.
Matt Batten, 40 from Cardiff was diagnosed with testicular cancer in June 2016. Speaking about the emotional impact of the disease, Matt said:
“I didn’t tell anybody because I felt a bit guilty. In hindsight that was the stupidest thing ever because then you’re on your own.
“I think it took a couple of months for everything that I’d gone through to make me realise the big emotional impact this has had on me. I’d been in work and I’d been struggling for a while, everything was just seeming too much.
“One day I was in a meeting, and I had a phone call from the doctor asking me to make an appointment, and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, what could this be?’ It was just a check-up and I just started crying, so the doctor signed me off. I had about six weeks off work.
“I don’t know why, but I was feeling incredibly anxious about everything. The doctor told me that it was a perfectly ordinary reaction to something as big as I’d gone through. I think at that point it dawned on me that it was a big deal, and that’s when I phoned Macmillan.
“I’m really grateful for the Macmillan Support Line, and if you’re going through cancer then please pick up the phone and speak to someone at Macmillan.”
To encourage more men with cancer to ask for help, Macmillan is bringing together nine of its partners from the construction, home improvement and electrical sectors: Benchmarx Kitchens and Joinery, CEF, ISG, Mace, Selco Builders Warehouse, telent Technology Services, Topps Tiles, Travis Perkins and Wolseley, for their ‘Just Say the Word’ campaign. Through this, Macmillan hopes to reach and empower men across the UK to take control of their health and seek the support they need.
