PR and Med Ed news in brief

Cancer advice for men

Men drinking in Glasgow pubs will receive advice this week on prostate cancer with their pints as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the disease. The Prostate Cancer Charity said too many Scots do not realise the importance of the gland. It hopes that the Real Man beer mat campaign ñ launched during Prostate Cancer Awareness Week ñ will help them learn about their bodies. The condition is the UK's most common form of male cancer. It affects 27,000 men each year across the country, killing 10,000. The Prostate Cancer Charity said its statistics showed that most men over the age of 45 do not even know they have a prostate gland.

Beach boy heads campaign

Former member of the Beach Boys, David Marks, urged the public to faCe their past as part of a government campaign to raise awareness of hepatitis C. The Beach Boy, who found out that he had the virus in 1999, unveiled an outdoor exhibition of giant portraits of people with hepatitis C at London's Leicester Square last week. Recent research shows that four out of five people in England know little or nothing about hepatitis C, and 80 per cent of the estimated 200,000 people infected in this country are unaware of their condition, which can go undetected for up to 30 years.

Brain campaigns raise awareness

European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB) is to boost awareness of brain research, and Headway ñ the brain industry association ñ wants to raise awareness of the consequences of brain injury. Get connected will feature events on brain research ranging from lectures and round tables to press conferences. Nottingham-based Headway's Brain Injury Awareness Week will focus on what happens to brain injury survivors when their carers are no longer able to look after them.

ADHD drug in the spotlight

UCB Pharma is to launch Equasym XL, for children suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This follows recent research revealing that parents feared a midday dose of such a drug would lead to embarrassment and loss of self-esteem. Equasym XL is a once-daily methylphenidate formulation, designed to treat ADHD symptoms throughout the school day. According to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), 1 per cent of school children have severe ADHD and should receive treatment but they are not receiving methylphenidate.