The Finnish parliament has decided to introduce a national screening programme

November’s men’s health activities were marked in Finland with the lighting of 900 candles on the parliament building steps, commemorating the 900 men who die of prostate cancer in the country each year.

The symbolic act had extra significance because the Finnish Parliament had just decided to make a law introducing prostate cancer screening across the country, to improve early diagnosis, reduce mortality and raise quality of life.

“There were no critical words expressed about the move,” said Pentti Tuohimaa from PROPO, the Finnish prostate cancer patients’ organisation, which organised the meeting outside parliament. “In Finland, we will follow the European Association for Urology and Europa Uomo recommendations for screening”.

Pentti Tuohimaa is pictured (third from right) with parliamentary representatives from different parties including Sari Tanus who led the initiative (second from right).

Other events marking men's health in November included included, in the Netherlands, an item about prostate cancer on the television show “Dit is Holland” featuring Kees van den Berg, Chairman of the Prostate Cancer Foundation (a Europa Uomo member). He spoke about the importance of early diagnosis.

In Germany, Movember presented information about the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study in a widely-publicised video featuring Ernst-Günther Carl of the Bundesverband Prostatakrebs Selbsthilfe (a Europa Uomo member) and other experts. They explained the importance of the study, which compares outcomes across centres after local treatment for prostate cancer, and their involvement.