It's the last shave for the whole month of January for several London men Friday, who are taking part in Manuary.

It is a fundraising and awareness campaign for head and neck cancer.

David Wyatt is a head and neck cancer survivor.

“It was one of those moments in your life where reality just smacks you in the face,” says Wyatt.

Five years ago, he noticed he had a lump in his neck and went to see his doctor. He says the early detection is what saved his life.

“The message for men is not to take anything for granted,” says Wyatt. “You should know your body enough to know if something is not right.”

Over 80 per cent of people diagnosed with head and neck cancer are men. It's the sixth most common cancer in the world, but one that isn't commonly talked about.

“There just wasn't enough attention paid to head and neck cancer,” says Dr. Leigh Sowerby, an ear, nose and throat specialist. “It's a cancer that is hard to treat and the survival rates aren't great and there is just lots of improvements needed in how we treat it.”

Manuary started five years ago in London and within those five years it has raised over $150,000 across Canada.

The money is going towards research, which has already shown that there is a link between the HPV virus and this form of cancer.

“The same HPV that causes cervical cancer now very clearly causes throat cancer and we are seeing approximately a doubling amount of patients each year so it is becoming more and more of a health problem,” says Dr. Anthony Nichols.

Both Dr. Nichols and Dr. Sowerby believe if young men were encouraged to get the HPV vaccine the same way women are, there is a chance of preventing head and neck cancer in the future. A cancer which is very debilitating for those who have it.

If you would like to register to take part in Manuary or make a donation, you can do so by logging onto www.manuary.ca.