Movember, a campaign to boost awareness of male cancers

Brussels – November 2nd 2023 – This year as every year, the month of November is a month dedicated to increasing awareness of males cancers with the Movember campaign.  Although generally less aware of the fact, men are also at risk of developing a cancer at some point in their lives.  The chances of survival are nevertheless high if the disease is detected at an early stage. At the Brussels University Hospital (H.U.B), comprehensive and personalised care, from prevention to treatment, is available to each and every patient depending on his pathology. The expertise of the teams combined with the latest equipment make it possible to preserve the patient’s quality of life to a maximum.   

A contraction of “mo” for moustache and November for the month, Movember is an annual event organised by the  Movember Foundation Charity. Every November since 2003, men across the globe are invited to grow a moustache. The aim is twofold: to increase public awareness of men’s health and to raise funds for research into such male diseases as prostrate or testicular cancer.   

Join the movement and become a “Mo Bro”! 

We are not all equal in the face of cancer.  Independently of lifestyle, the risk varies depending on our genetic makeup.  Some genetic mutations bring an increased risk. Similarly, a family history of cancers or personal antecedents increase an individual’s risk.  In 2022, 40 335 cancers were diagnosed in men in Belgium, with 12 732 cases of prostate cancer that remains the most common male cancer. But for the vast majority of people with an average risk, the proportion of “avoidable” cancers is 30-40%.    There are two main components of prevention: lifestyle and screening. The recommended lifestyle measures are summed up in the European Code Against Cancer: don’t smoke, drink less, eat better, remain active and watch your weight.  Making an appointment at the Jules Bordet Institute’s Screening Clinic for a thorough check up is also an effective way of preventing cancers and detecting them in time.   

At the H.U.B, patients with a male cancer are cared for by a multidisciplinary team including urologists, nurses, oncologists, radiotherapists and psychologists. The aim is to provide comprehensive personalised care for every male patient. The expertise of each professional combined with the latest technology serves to treat the tumour effectively while maintaining the patient’s quality of life with the fewest possible side effects and complications 

From diagnosis to treatment, our machines and techniques meet the needs of patients with ultimate precision:   

• Transperineal biopsy (through the perineal skin rather than the rectum) involves taking a sample of several prostrate fragments using a needle. The H.U.B is one of the few hospitals to practice this technique under local anaesthetic.   
• PET/MRI is a hybrid imaging technique that combines TEP and MRI for ultimate biopsy precision.   
• PSMA PET scan is metabolic imaging   that permits a more precise visualisation of cancer lesions than is possible with conventional imaging. 
• A robotic platform  permits minimally invasive interventions (the famous surgical robot). 
• Focused ultrasound (Focal-One) provides ablative treatment limited to small prostate tumours that are not very aggressive and that allows the gland to be saved 
• The  MRI-Linac is a radiotherapy machine that in 5 sessions provides a curative treatment of certain prostate cancers with a significant reduction in toxicity. 
• Theranostics  is a combination of precise diagnosis using metabolic imaging and at the same time treatment of the lesions found.