Hamburg/Munich – November 10, 2026 -- Men in Germany aged 45 and older can get a prostate cancer screening once a year, and statutory health insurers cover the cost. This Movember, AstraZeneca and MSD Sharp & Dohme want more men to use it.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in German men
Movember is an international awareness month for men's health that uses the moustache as a conversation starter. According to the Robert Koch Institute, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Germany. The earlier it is found, the better the chances of successful treatment. The two companies are running their "Nichts verpassen" ("Miss Nothing") campaign with patients and medical experts.
Handball twins were both diagnosed at 47
Former handball national team players Michael and Uli Roth were both diagnosed with prostate cancer at 47. Their message to men: go to screening and see a urologist early.
Shame, reluctance and persistent myths keep some men away from appointments. Urologist, author and medfluencer Volker Wittkamp tackles two of them: that the exam is necessarily painful, and that no symptoms means no prostate cancer.
Urologists urge men to talk about it all year
Prof. Thorsten Schlomm, director of the Department of Urology at Charité Berlin, wants early detection and cancer to stop being taboo topics. He asks men to keep the conversation going beyond November. Prof. Markus Graefen, founder and medical director of the Martini-Klinik at UKE Hamburg, encourages men to take responsibility for their own health. He says that includes talking about prostate cancer, whether at screening or as a patient.
Videos and guides are available online
The experts and patients will publish Movember videos on their social media channels during November. The "Nichts verpassen" website carries screening information and the new campaign video. Patients, relatives and friends can find information on diagnosis, treatment and living with the disease in the "Wegweiser Prostatakrebs" guide.