Urologists urge men not to hide their symptoms as prostate cancer diagnoses keep climbing

As Movember, the month devoted to men's health, gets under way, doctors and the Belgian Foundation Against Cancer warn that embarrassment keeps men from seeing a doctor in time. In a piece by RTBF, Pierre Coulie, co-chair of the foundation, says a taboo still surrounds cancers in men.

Prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. According to figures cited by RTBF, there were 12,535 new cases in 2024, 56 percent more than in 2014. Ten-year survival stands at 97 percent, but 1,485 deaths were recorded in 2023, La Libre reported earlier, citing Belga. Testicular cancer affects just under 500 men a year, often aged 30 to 34, and penile cancer around 110.

Urologists Thierry Roumeguère (Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles) and Amandine Degraeve (CHU UCL Namur and Saint-Luc) tell RTBF that the rectal examination is no longer routine and that imaging such as ultrasound or MRI is often more precise. They recommend a monthly self-check of the testicles, for example in the shower. Persistent urinary problems, blood in the urine or a sore on the penis that does not heal are reasons to see a GP.