Lack of knowledge about male health is the underlying issue, says Europa Uomo Italia

Prostate cancer represents not only a clinical challenge but also a social, cultural, and political one. This was the message of Claudio Talmelli, President of Europa Uomo Italia, speaking at a major Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer meeting held in Italy in June.

Underlining the need for action on early diagnosis, active surveillance, and the establishment of prostate cancer units, Talmelli called for clear political commitment. In a country where one in eight men were diagnosed late, there is a need to promote culture and awareness early, he said.

“There is an underlying issue – the lack of knowledge about male health,” he said. “Too many men do not know, do not talk, do not take care of themselves. Education on prevention is needed from schools, as there is a world before diagnosis that needs to be built with culture, awareness, and information."

Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer is a pan-European initiative – organised and funded by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd – bringing together representatives of stakeholder organisations from the EU prostate cancer community. Its latest event, held at the Chamber of Deputies in Rome, looked at ways of transforming early detection and care in prostate cancer, with a particular focus on the Italian experience. It examined how regional initiatives were tackling prostate cancer.

Key national and international stakeholders represented included the ONDA Foundation, Cancer Patients Europe, All.Can Italy, Europa Uomo, the Patient Expert Academy EUPATI, the Italian Society of Urology (SIU), the Italian Society of Uro-Oncology (SIURO) and European regional and local health authorities.

Concluding, Hendrik Van Poppel, Policy Office Chairman of the European Association of Urology (EAU) said: “For prostate cancer, we need to act on three fronts: recognising it as a priority, reducing territorial inequalities and focusing on early diagnosis and timely access to care. Italy currently has a low mortality rate, but the data indicates it will increase. Now is the right time to invest, not to wait.”

Pictured: The main panel for the event included Claudio Talmelli, President of Europa Uomo Italia (far right).