Loo mats to warn men on cancer signs
CANCER warnings are being put on urinal mats in pubs, restaurants and football grounds in a bid to drive up early detection.
The NHS in England is putting the message “Blood in your pee? Contact your GP practice” on mats as a way of urging men to seek help for the major symptom of bladder, kidney and prostate cancer.
Pubs, restaurants, shops, hotels and sports stadiums will be among the public places using the mats.
The NHS has joined forces with P-Wave, a urinal products brand, to deliver the message.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England national clinical director for cancer, said: “Having blood in your pee – even just once – shouldn’t be ignored because it can be a sign of cancer, so it needs to be checked out by your GP team.
“Cancer survival is at an all-time high, and we’re seeing more cancers than ever before being picked up at an early stage – and this partnership with P-wave is just one of the many ways we are helping people to be aware of possible cancer symptoms.
“Please look for any changes that may be unusual for you and get checked out early. It could save your life.”
Other common symptoms of bladder, kidney and prostate cancer include peeing very often, sudden need to pee or a burning sensation when peeing.
People should also seek help if they have difficulty peeing, a lump or swelling in the back, under the ribs, in the neck, or pain at the side between the ribs and the hip.
A poll of 2,000 men by Censuswide to support the campaign found that nearly half (46%) thought blood in pee was not a symptom of cancer, while 39% would wait to see blood multiple times before seeing a GP.
More than half of men in England use a public urinal at least once a week, the poll found, while 71% said they would be more likely to contact their GP if they saw messaging on a urinal mat and were experiencing