Urology Week calls for attention for prostate diseases
The European Association of Urology (EAU), the European knowledge centre of urology, and the national urological societies in Europe organise Urology Week annually – this year from 13 to 17 September - to inform people, especially men over 50, about urological diseases, their treatments and the work of the urologist.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the Western world and every year 382,000 new cases of prostate cancer are detected in Europe alone. This accounts for 11.9% of the total number of new cancer cases. Over 50% of men over 50 have urological complaints due to benign conditions. Last but not least, as many as 42.8 million men are expected to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED) in Europe alone in 2025.
These urological conditions affect the lives of millions of men and women every day. Research shows that shame and undetected symptoms are among the key reasons why many Europeans neglect to seek medical help when experiencing urological complaints. And that is too bad, since there is good news: very often the urologist can help, especially when diagnosis is made at an early stage.
The EAU updated its website www.urologyweek.org recently as platform for the promotional activities for Urology Week. It includes the latest information for a broad public about two major pathologies - prostate conditions and erectile dysfunction – and their treatments, in the form of patient and expert interviews, film footage, background articles, etc. Information on Urology Week activities in Europe, organised by several national urological societies, is also made available under ‘Events’. The EAU cooperates closely with specialist and patient organisations at a European level.
In addition to this information, the website contains promotional material - such as brochures and leaflets - which may be downloaded, translated and distributed by those wishing to help promote Urology Week and inform the public.
The site furthermore provides balanced information on the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening, a hot topic ever since the results of the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) - which show that prostate cancer screening gives a 20% reduction in mortality – were published.
EAU’s message is clear: Men over 50 who want to be sure about their urological health should not wait. They need to contact a dedicated specialist: the urologist.
17.08.2010
