Mia Williams
A study has called for health professionals to 'better understand' men who have one specific habit, which could be linked to a rise in prostate cancer.
While we know that women's health has been historically underfunded and under researched, there are conditions which exclusively affect men, one being prostate cancer.
And a new study has revealed that one toxic habit could be linked to a rise in the disease.
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New data collected by the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer has highlighted that many men are ignoring calls to attend their prostate screening.
But this damaging habit has had more of an impact than anyone would ever realise.
While some screenings may be a touch uncomfortable, they also prove to be life saving.
And the new research suggests that men who are dodging the screenings are actually 45% more likely to die from the disease.
Not only can it help save someone's life, but screening can also prevent the costly treatments associated with advanced prostate cancer.
There are now calls for screenings that measure the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood, to be introduced on a national scale.
And the research suggests that this could lead to a 20% reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer.
Speaking to the New York Post, lead study author Renée Leenen, said: "It may be that men who opted not to attend a screening appointment are care avoiders - meaning they’re less likely to engage in healthy behaviours and preventative care in general.”
She added: "This is the opposite behavior of people who are perhaps more health-conscious and are more likely to attend a screening appointment.
"Our study identifies that men who were invited for screening, but do not attend screening appointments, are at a significantly higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared to men who were not offered screening or accepted an invitation for screening."
The doctor also noted that experts need to be better at 'understanding who these men are, why they choose not to attend appointments and how to motivate them'.
The study included 72,460 men, of which one in six were non-attenders and skipped every single appointment.
And according to their findings, this specific group had a 45% higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared with those who attended regular screening appointments.
The study emphasised how important early diagnosis is for 'better outcomes'.