April is an important month when it comes to the fight against testicular cancer. The importance of self-checking and demystifying the disease was front and centre at the latest Men’s Health Webinar run by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW). 

Webinars are open to all PFEW members, and each session focuses on both men’s physical and mental wellbeing. 

As the month of April is dedicated to testicular cancer awareness, the session focused on what can be done in order to catch the disease early and encourage regular self-checks.

The National Police Medical Officer, Professor John Harrison, started the webinar by saying men aren’t as vigilant as women when it comes to self-checking. 

He went on to say that regardless of age, the importance of catching testicular cancer early should not be understated. 

“Testicular cancer can be treated very effectively and successfully if it is caught early. It only takes a minute to check yourself and it’s something that can easily be done while taking a shower or a bath”, he explained.

Testicular cancers are more common in earlier years but as the early stages carry few symptoms and no pain, it is something which younger men do not consider as often as they should. The risk may be low, but it also spans all age ranges too.

Attendees of the webinar also heard from Naz Choudhury, from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. He told his story of diagnosis and treatment. 

“It was a very difficult time, the most difficult days of my life but I was reassured to hear that the treatments can be very successful,” he shared.

He pointed out he didn’t fall within the ’typical’ demographic of those at risk but his case goes to show all men can be affected.

Also sharing his experience was ex-professional footballer, John Hartson. John spoke openly and candidly about both his illness but also about the work he now does in the foundation that he set up in his name. 

The John Hartson Foundation was established to help raise awareness of testicular cancer and provide support for those affected by the disease.

Other contributors also included Kate Young and Ryan Crown from Flint House who spoke about rehabilitation and financial support on offer for police officers who receive a cancer diagnosis. You can read more about their work in February’s POLICE mag here.

The webinar was hosted by National Board member and PFEW Men’s Health Lead Zac Mader. 

He told us: “These men’s health webinars are extremely important because we want to encourage men to consider both their physical and mental wellbeing. Traditionally men can be more of a closed book when it comes to their health, so we want to provide a safe space for them to access useful resources and links to other organisations for further help.

“The Federation takes its responsibilities to its members very seriously and I’d also like to point out officers can reach out to their local Fed reps if they need any additional support.”

The webinar was well received with positive comments from our attendees:

“Drew a crowd around my laptop, keep it up!”

“Thank you for sharing your experience, this session will absolutely save lives.”

One attendee told us: “I am a survivor of testicular cancer and been clear for seven years. I’m still tempted to fob off twinges, but my wife makes sure I get checked over. I go once a year for check-ups now.”

You can find out more about the work of the John Hartson Foundation here.