A Second Look At Movember

There’s an imbalance in the funding for cancer research. There are many types of cancer, but the two in question here are breast cancer and prostate cancer, which predominantly affect women and men respectively. Their statistics are nearly identical. One in eight women (12%) will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, of which 10% will die from it within 5 years. Similarly, one in eight men (again 12%) will develop prostate cancer, with 9% dying from it in 5 years. However, individual survival rates vary widely based on the size and spread of the tumor. If the cancer has already spread by the time it’s detected, the odds of survival plummet. But if it’s caught early, modern treatments are super effective. Surgery and radiation therapy work great. Hormone therapy is also used to slow cancer growth. For small tumors that haven’t spread, survival from breast and prostate cancers are nearly 100%.

Finding it early is key. Thankfully, both have reasonably effective screening programs. For women, mammograms (breast X-rays) can identify suspicious lesions. For men, an elevated Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) level in the blood can be an early marker for cancer. In the past, men had another screening test, the infamous Digital Rectal Exam. That’s when a doctor sticks a finger up your butt to feel the backside of your prostate. It wasn’t particularly popular among patients (what a surprise!), nor was it effective at improving survival, so it has fallen by the wayside. Good riddance.

Breast cancer and prostate cancer affect women and men similarly, but when it comes to research funding, they are vastly different. From 2016 to 2020, $2.73 billion (US) was earmarked for breast cancer research worldwide. In that same time period, prostate cancer research received $1.56 billion, 43% less. 

In our age of promoting equality among the sexes, why the gap in funding? Why are fundraising efforts and donations so lopsided toward breast cancer? The answer may relate to public perception.

WHAT'S A PROSTATE AGAIN?

Everyone knows what breasts are. They’re front and center on half the population, and advertising campaigns have capitalized on their marketing potential for decades. But when was the last time you saw an ad featuring the smooth curves of a prostate? I recently had to explain to my teenage son that a prostate is a plum-sized gland that sits just below a man’s bladder. Definitely not one of the sexier parts of the body.

The pee-tube (urethra) passes straight through the middle of the prostate on its way out the penis. As men get older, the prostate enlarges, which can press inward and restrict flow. That’s why old guys have to take a leak so often - their big prostates keep them from being able to fully drain their bladders. Most often, lower urinary tract symptoms (dribbling, hesitancy, feeling that there’s still pee left inside) are caused by the natural enlargement of the prostate as men age. However, other times prostate cancer causes the same symptoms. As one urologist told me, “If you can’t piss, nothing else matters.” Most guys head to the doctor when their plumbing seizes up, but not all prostate cancer causes trouble peeing. It can grow silently and spread throughout the body. By then, it’s often too late.

Working in the hospital, I’ve seen men die of prostate cancer. Not a pretty sight. It tends to spread to bones first, causing pain in their spine and hips. Death comes slowly as the cancer takes over, spreading from bones to lymph nodes, lungs, and brain. It’s an awful way to die. But then again, dying of any type of cancer is awful. 

While breast cancer survival stories are in the spotlight, prostate cancer tends to be relegated to the shadows. Guys just don't talk about it like women do. Additionally, the most prominent marketing campaign for prostate cancer carries a stigma that may impede efforts to further the cause, because it all hinges on a certain style of facial hair that tends to elicit strong opinions. 

The mustache.

THE DOUBLE STANDARD

Years ago, I went to a pub with my younger brother. He was in the military, which dictates that all males keep their hair short and faces clean shaven, with the exception of a neat mustache. As this was the only permissible means of expressing his individuality (physically, at least), he was sporting one. 

Our first beer barely finished before the conversation with the girls at the next table turned to Karl’s mustache. One of them had no qualms about expressing her disapproval. “Oh my gosh. That thing is so disgusting. Please do the world a favor and shave it off.”

Anyone who has ever had a mustache is familiar with such comments. Usually they get laughed off, but this time my brother had a different response. He calmly replied, “Let me ask you this, Krissy: if I said the same thing about your appearance - hair, makeup, whatever - would that be socially acceptable?”

The normally chatty Krissy was suddenly tongue-tied. “Well… It’s not like… uh…”

“The answer is no,” Karl continued. “It wouldn’t be okay for me to make such a rude comment about your face. So why do you feel it’s okay to say such things about mine? Isn’t that a double standard?”

Awkward pause. Then some lame jokes to diffuse the situation. But before long, Krissy and her friends admitted that, yes, there is a double standard of societal acceptance when it comes to negative comments about the mustache. 

Since the early 90's, mustaches have steadily fallen out of favor. In public opinion, they just don’t look as good as a smooth face, stubble, or a scruffy beard. No argument there. But does that justify the hostility? 

MOVEMBER

Twenty years ago in Australia, the founders of Movember came up with a brilliant campaign to raise money for prostate cancer research: grow a mustache in November. Easy. Most guys can do it, and since then it has expanded to raise funds and awareness for all sorts of men’s health initiatives. Their message has been so far-reaching that mustaches now grace the faces of men every November. 

However, to many, the focus of Movember is only the mustache. After discussing prostate anatomy and cancer, my teenage son remarked, “Wait, Movember is about prostate cancer?” Many people (young folks especially) don’t know why it's grown every year. 

“Yes. It’s a big deal. My grandpa had prostate cancer, my dad will most likely get it, and me too. Same goes for you. Prostate cancer usually grows pretty slow, so most guys die of something else long before it affects us. But not always. Sometimes it’s aggressive and affects younger men.”

We had a long chat about the funding discrepancy between breast and prostate cancer research. It’s not that breast cancer should receive less, it’s that men need to pony up and do better for their health.

That's it, I thought. If my own son doesn't know the reasons behind Movember, it's time for me to man up. I shaved most of my beard that evening, leaving the mustache in place. I’ll admit, it's not pretty. It's blond in some areas, but a brown jiffy marker helps it look a little less scraggly.

This year, I’ve got a mustache. And I’m making a donation to prostate cancer research. My grandpa was cured with radiation therapy - I hope the other men in my family can have such a good outcome. 

SUMMARY

The negative stigma of mustaches may be partly to blame for the breast cancer vs prostate cancer funding discrepancy. A lot of guys are shy about growing a mustache, and if they do, they almost expect to catch flack for it. Many women are supportive, but there will always be Krissy's out there. However, being a man means standing up for what you believe in, despite the backlash.

There have been enormous advances in screening and treatment over the last few decades. If prostate cancer research received as much support as breast cancer, the survival rates could go up even more! That means more lives saved. Isn’t that what being a hero is all about?

Guys are notoriously bad about taking care of themselves, so any effort to promote men’s health should be supported. Even growing a mustache. I sport mine for all the men who will hear the “C” word from their doctor. Everyone, regardless of gender, should receive the same high standard of medical care. It’s not easy for an introvert like me to walk around with this thing on my face. But this year I need to wear it like a man, because supporting men’s health is something to be proud of.

Hopefully one day the reasons behind Movember will become so well known that mustaches won’t be shunned anymore. It’s more than just a fad, and it’s worth a second look. 

Happy Movember, everyone. Shave sparingly and give generously. Let’s narrow the gap.

© D. B. Ryen Incorporated, November 2024.  

References

American Cancer Society: “Survival rates for breast cancer”, Survival rates for prostate cancer”, Prostate cancer image. 

Canadian Cancer Society: “Survival statistics for breast cancer”, “Survival statistics for prostate cancer”.

McIntosh, Stuart, et at. “Global funding for cancer research between 2016 and 2020: a content analysis of public and philanthropic investments”. The Lancet. Volume 24, Issue 6, Pg 636-645, June 2023.