Nothing like Movember to bring out the Magnum P.I. in your guy.

It’s a hairy campaign that focuses on men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancers.

Dr. Eric Hyndman, Prostate Cancer Center, Urologist, encourages young men to get checked because early detection is key.

“I think we are starting to get the word out there with Movember.  It is starting to get out there to the younger men and the importance of preventative medicine. Even checking blood sugar, exercise and diet; all these things at a younger age can prevent problems later in life.”

Prostate and testicular cancers are strongly associated with family history but Hyndman says you can still get it even if it doesn’t run in your family.

“A few people out there aren’t aware of the health of their parents or uncles. Also the genetics isn’t purely passed down so you may have new mutations that put you at risk”

Daniel Chester, local Cochrane plumber, doesn’t have a family history but was diagnosed at 32 years old with testicular cancer. After an accident at work, a CT scan discovered a tumor; he says it has been a rough road with chemo and surgeries but feels lucky the cancer was caught in stage 2.

“I caught it early enough that I am expected to have a full recovery minus the complications that I have gone through but there are some people who don’t and that’s because they don’t notice it until it’s too late.”

Chester says he didn’t have any symptoms so looking back he’s a real advocate for taking responsibility and getting behind your health.

“A man might not notice it unless he’s actually looking for it and it’s one of those things I’ve been telling anybody who wants to listen. It’s an important thing to check and it’s something as simple as one of your boys is bigger than the other. Get checked!”

For Daniel Chester’s full story go here.