"Movember" a global movement to bring awareness to prostate and testicular cancer has kicked off this month as men mark the occasion by growing a mustache for the entire month.

Participating men, known as Mo Bros (Mo is the Australian slang for mustache), shave at the begginning of November and let their mustache grow. They often also raise money for men's health charities.

"I've got some friends and fellow firefighters who are cancer survivors and I lost one friend to prostate cancer," firefighter Steve Furtado told USA Today.

"I thought it would be a good cause to bring awareness to cancer in men. What better way to bring awareness and get involved in this campaign."

In the United States, prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer. It is estimated that 240,890 men will be diagnosed with and 33,720 men will die of prostate cancer in 2011, according to the National Cancer Institute.

It is estimated that 8,290 men will be diagnosed with and 350 men will die of testicular cancer this year, according to the institute.