Smoking marijuana increases men’s risk of testicular cancer by a staggering 70 percent.

This is just one of the warnings Islanders will receive at a special seminar this week to raise awareness of the disease. Speaker Gerri Landy, education officer for Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, said men were reluctant to be screened for testicular or prostate cancer out of embarrassment “but a few seconds of discomfort could save your life”.

“Men don’t want to go to the doctor,” Ms Landy said. “They say, ‘Why can’t these doctors come up with some different test? I can’t get down with the finger test.’

“It might be embarrassing but it’s not painful. Be a man, get your prostate checked.

“You need to have conversations about cancer, you need to be checked if you think something is amiss.

“Know the symptoms and if you’re at risk. A fatty diet can contribute, smoking can. Obesity is a risk factor. Black men are more prone to prostate cancer but it’s not known why. Testicular cancer is more common in white men.

“Know your family history — if a man has a close male family member with cancer that increases their risk.”

Ms Landy said many people wrongly believed that cancer was “an old person’s disease”.

“Most testicular cancer patients are between 15 and 35,” she said. “Cyclist Lance Armstrong was 25 when he was diagnosed.”

Early detection is vital to increase your survival chances. Ms Landy said that in the US, the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer — the number of patients who live for five years after the disease is diagnosed — was 98.9 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute.

“Cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence,” she added. “Don’t ignore symptoms. If something is wrong for a period of time don’t explain it away, see a doctor.”

Symptoms of testicular cancer include lumps, pain or swelling of a testicle. There are no warning signs of early prostate cancer but more advanced cases can cause you to pass urine more frequently, especially at night, and difficulty passing urine. It is rare but some patients suffer pain when urinating.

In Bermuda, one in five men aged 50 or above has never had a prostate exam, according to the latest available figures — the Health Disparities Report 2013, produced by the Bermuda Health Council. Yet prostate cancer is the most registered cancer on the Island, with more cases than breast cancer, according to the Bermuda National Tumour Registry’s latest figures, for 2012.

Ms Landy said: “Prostate cancer spreads and you die if you can’t catch it. If they catch it in the early stages before symptoms the outlook is good.

“Go for your annual physical and tell your doctor if you’ve found something is off. You can also self-examine at home.”

The seminar on June 25 will focus on men’s cancers but men and women are welcome to attend. It will be held at Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre on Point Finger Road from 5.45pm.

To register or for more information, call Gerri Landy on 236 1001 or e-mail glandy@chc.bm