Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA) has partnered with biopharmaceutical company Ipsen Ireland to launch a national roadshow series Shed Some Light on Prostate Cancer which took place across 15 locations on the 22nd of November.
Get talking, Shed some light on prostate cancer.
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NEW RESEARCH AMONG IRISH MEN’S SHEDS ASSOCIATION (IMSA) MEMBERS REVEALS:
Almost a third of members actively avoid discussing health concerns with close ones
71% of members are worried about the prevalence of prostate cancer among men in Ireland
17% of members have experienced prostate cancer
57% have had a close friend or family member diagnosed
New research conducted by IMSA among its member network shows that 17% have personally experienced prostate cancer, while a further 57% know someone close to them who has been diagnosed. According to the results, speaking about medical conditions like prostate cancer can be a challenge for men – with 32% of members saying they find it difficult to open up about personal health issues with friends or family. And over a quarter (29%) actively avoid speaking about healthrelated issues with their close ones. This is despite the fact that 71% of men surveyed said the prevalence of prostate cancer among men in Ireland is a source of worry for them (one in eight men in Ireland are affected by prostate cancer in their lifetime).1
1. Common cancers that affect men | Irish Cancer Society. Accessed: November 2022
NATIONAL ROADSHOW SERIES
IMSA and Ipsen have launched the Shed Some Light on Prostate Cancer roadshows to create opportunities for men to share their own stories with peers and facilitate a national conversation around the illness.
By encouraging more discussions around prostate cancer in local Men’s Sheds across the country, it’s hoped more men will realise that they are not alone on their cancer journey.
The roadshow events will be led by a team of IMSA members who volunteered as conversation facilitators. These local IMSA members will facilitate conversations about prostate cancer, its symptoms, diagnosis and management. The goal of the roadshows is to encourage more peer-to-peer conversations about prostate cancer through the IMSA regional network of 400 Men’s Sheds in the Republic of Ireland. Over 450 men attended these sessions in total.
“The Men’s Shed environment is a unique and supportive space where men feel safe with other men to talk about their health and wellbeing issues. We hope our Shed community can openly discuss and learn more a major men’s health issue, which men actively avoid talking about, through the ‘Shed Some Light on Prostate Cancer’ roadshow. “Sometimes we have to recognise that individuals are ‘experts’ in their own lives and have valuable life experience and learnings to share with others. But just as Shedders share woodturning, bee keeping and painting skills with each other in their local Sheds, there are also opportunities to share individual insights and advice for health-related issues including cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery. We commend all Shed members who have participated in the insights session to become conversation facilitators for our national roadshow series, and we urge Shedders throughout Ireland to join the local events this month to discuss a medical condition that unfortunately touches the lives of so many men across the country.”
Enda Egan CEO of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association
“We are delighted to partner with the Irish Men’s Sheds Association to launch the ‘Shed Some Light on Prostate Cancer’ roadshow across Ireland. We hope that this partnership will help men in communities across the country find support and reassurance in the company of their peers to discuss prostate cancer, which is a real concern for many men, with 71% of IMSA members worried about it.The role of peer-to-peer conversations in helping men open up and avoid suffering in silence when it comes to prostate cancer is very important. The Ipsen team in Ireland is committed to helping improve quality of life for patients with underserved and life-threatening illnesses like prostate cancer and we collectively hope that this initiative will help create an important support network for men across the country.”
General Manager of Ipsen Ireland Paul Byrne
ABOUT IPSEN
Ipsen is a global, mid-sized biopharmaceutical company focused on transformative medicines in Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. With Specialty Care sales of €2.6bn in 2021, Ipsen sells medicines in over 100 countries (35 with a direct presence). Alongside its external-innovation strategy, the Company’s research and development efforts are focused on its innovative and differentiated technological platforms located in the heart of leading biotechnological and lifescience hubs: Paris-Saclay, France; Oxford, U.K.; Cambridge, U.S.; Shanghai, China. Ipsen has around 5,000 colleagues worldwide and is listed in Paris (Euronext: IPN) and in the U.S. through a Sponsored Level I American Depositary Receipt program (ADR: IPSEY). For more information, visit ipsen.com
IPSEN IN IRELAND
Ipsen Ireland is a key part of Ipsen’s global biopharmaceutical business and is committed to delivering transformative medicines that improve the lives of patients in need across three therapeutic areas – oncology, rare diseases and neuroscience. Ipsen has been in Ireland for over 30 years, pioneering innovation across manufacturing, R&D and commercial activities at its site in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Ipsen Ireland produces the active ingredients for two of the company’s innovative cancer treatments.
