2023-12-11 05:00:46
The urology department of the Lille University Hospital Center and the Lemahieu textile industry have joined forces to create boxers in the colors of the Lille football club Losc, called “Je me tâte”. This communications operation has a specific objective: to raise awareness regarding testicular cancer.
“There is a real taboo around testicular cancer. Nobody dares to talk regarding it,” confides Jonathan Olivier, urologist at Lille University Hospital (University Hospital Center). However, there are 27,000 cases in France and 90 deaths per year. So many deaths that might be avoided… In its Lille urology department, we operate on between 35 and 40 patients with testicular cancer each year.
Patients then undergo removal of the diseased testicle. Then, very often, chemotherapy which influences their testosterone production and their fertility. “If the stage is advanced, the cancer also has consequences on the other testicle, testosterone becomes low, so it must be compensated for, and for life. Now, we are talking regarding young men, they are between 16 and 25 years old, maximum 30 years old! », insists Jonathan Olivier. He continues: “One of my last patients told me that he had the impression that his testicle had grown one morning, whereas before it had nothing. But he had a 5cm mass in his testicle. For me, it can’t happen all at once. As soon as a testicle enlarges and you feel a lump, you need to go see a doctor.”
This shocking campaign called “I feel myself” aims to raise awareness of the gestures for correct palpation of the testicles. Avoiding cancer by feeling your testicles
In the vast majority of cases, self-palpation would have made it possible to avoid chemo sessions, vomiting, hair loss, etc. For cancer caught in time, treatment is limited to the removal of a testicle and no It does not have as many consequences on the sexual, sentimental and family lives of these young men. Except that we have to be able to talk regarding it. The urology department of Lille University Hospital has decided to strike hard with a shock campaign.
The hospital center has in fact joined forces with the Lille factory Lemahieu (lire bonus) et at the Losc football club to create original boxers. Nicolas Thebaud, communications and digital commerce manager in this textile company, is very proud to have contributed to this project. “Breast cancer is known thanks to Pink October. That of the prostate is starting to be so thanks to Movember. But we don’t talk regarding the testicles even though it affects young people. However, it is a subject of public health,” underlines Nicolas Thebaud.
The urology department began organizing events around Movember in 2015, which has recently gained it new notoriety. Last year, Lemahieu and Losc had already collaborated together during Movember (read bonus), to raise awareness regarding testicular cancer. “A prevention message was broadcast at the large stadium before a match,” says the Lemahieu communications manager. This year, we wanted to go further.”
Cancer research financed thanks to boxers
For Lemahieu, manufacturer of clothing and underwear, creating boxers in the colors of Losc, the region’s emblematic club, quickly appeared obvious. Then came the idea of flocking it with an inscription striking enough to make an impression. The teams from the urology department, Lemahieu and Losc opted for a simple message “I’m feeling myself”, embroidered on the boxers.
“We accompanied it with a short guide to self-palpation with four very simple and very clear little drawings to remove the taboo around palpation of the testicles,” explains Jonathan Olivier. Eco-responsible and 100% made in France, these organic cotton boxers were entirely designed in the Lemahieu workshops, in Saint-André-lez-Lille. “From knitting the material, to the pattern, making, embroidery… All the manufacturing stages were carried out at home,” says Nicolas Thebaud with pride.
For two years, the Losc football club has supported the urology department of Lille University Hospital during Movember. Already 500 copies of the boxer sold
An additional selling point which seems to be bearing fruit: the 500 copies of the underwear released on November 1st have already been sold. 200 additional pieces were therefore manufactured. “We don’t make any money from it, the funds are donated to urology research at the University Hospital,” the Lemahieu representative further specifies. They will be used in particular to finance an international project led by the Lille hospital center.
“We are one of the major French research centers, we have been working in particular on male cancers since 2013-2014,” says Dr Olivier. Clinical research on the subject has been launched in Australia and we have joined forces.”
The doctor continues: “We present our work at European and American congresses. We work with andrologists (the equivalent of the gynecologist for men – Editor’s note) and endocrinologists on an experimental approach. The latter would allow, for certain patients with small tumors, to remove the mass and not the entire testicle as we currently do.” The CHU can already count on the participation of Lemahieu to promote this action. The Lille manufacturer has indeed committed to supporting actions around testicular cancer over the next five years. ♦
Bonus
Movember. It is the leading association dealing with men’s health. Movember is interested in both prostate cancer and testicular cancer. But also mental health and suicide prevention. Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world. The objective: to reduce by 25%, by 2030, the number of men who die prematurely.
The Lemahieu company. It was created in 1947 by Henry Lemahieu, in Saint-André-les-Lille. He was 25 years old and bought his first knitting machines, as well as some clothing machines. Enough to launch the manufacture of your first underwear. Today, the company is one of the only French industries to still manufacture the fabric it uses itself.
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#Test #avoid #testicular #cancer
