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Cancer Care Symposium Focuses On Men’s Health
posted (May 28, 2014)

This year, the Annual Cancer care Symposium focused on Men’s Health, namely cancers affecting men, principally Prostate and colo-rectal cancer.

One of the keynote speakers was a prostate cancer survivor – Michael Finnegan and he used his time on the stage not to inspire the audience with his story of survival, but to get everyone’s blood flowing:

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Cancer Survivor
"Cancer likes when it keeps us in a little corner, and we creep up in bed, and we cry, and lash out. It wants us to behave just like how everybody in here looks right now, sad. I would want everybody get up and begin to give hugs to one another before I continue. Shake hands and get to know who you don't know. Let's stand up and hug each other."

Dr. Milton Harrison Arthurs - Gastroenterologist
"Women outnumber the men by almost 7 to 1, and this is intended to be a presentation focusing on men's health, and in particular, cancer, and we're not seeing the men. I know they're not in jail. They're not out there serving in the army. Where are they?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"Men have to be more involved. They have to take stock of one's health and get involved. Get tested; go, take your test. Let the doctor screen you, do all your tests."

Laura Longsworth - President, Belize Cancer Society
"What we are aiming for is to share with the audience what are the state-of-the-art strategies - evidence-based strategies - that can help us as health professionals - to really impact on men's health, and to get men into the health system, to really not be scared of getting a digital rectal exam, of going for a blood test, for just talking to a professional. That's what we want to engage our health professionals. How can we as health professionals make the environment become a little more friendly, so that men don't become uncomfortable with what we have to tell them."

Dr Milton Arthurs who you saw speaking in the story was the special guest speaker. Â He is a Belizean born specialist who lives in Jamaica and works at the UWI University Hospital. 

The Cancer Society’s next big event is Saturday’s cancer walk.

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