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NewsNovember is Prostate Awareness Month
November is Prostate Awareness Month

November is Prostate Awareness Month

Tags: Your Health
Last updated by Shelia Taylor on

Prostate Awareness Month is an opportunity for all to focus on the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Australia.

If you’re a man and 50, you should be talking to your doctor about PSA testing.

 

Check out these statistics about prostate cancer.


Signs and symptoms could include

  • A need to urinate frequently, especially at night
  • Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine
  • Weak or interrupted flow of urine
  • Painful or burning urination
  • Difficulty in having an erection
  • Painful ejaculation
  • Blood in urine or semen
  • Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs

 

Causes of prostate cancer
Some factors that can increase your risk of prostate cancer include:

  • age, increasing rapidly after 50 years of age
  • family history of prostate, breast or ovarian cancer
  • a diet high in fats and low in fresh fruit and vegetables
  • there is an association with high testosterone levels

 

For more on prostate cancer visit:

Movember Australia
Cancer.org.au

Originally posted on .

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Brian
Brian from NSW commented:

My tip - find an oncologist who will look at alternative treatments. ADT (Hormone Therapy) is not the only treatment. Enrol in an exercise and dietary programme, join your local support for guest speakers to keep you updated, find out about clinical trials - you could get the latest and greatest treatment for nothing! Insist on a PSMA (not MRI) this will show any spread and how intense. Theranostics is probably the best but costs $10,000 per treatment - reduces tumour density and has no side effects. Lastly PSA is just a number - I am 78, fit and healthy with a PSA of mid twenties! 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

By the way, I didn't mean to be anonymous. The name is Jeff and I live near Gundagai, NSW. My brother tells me that he is OK, his PSA (1 test) is normal. As I said, so is mine, over 3 or 4 years tested at about 3 monthly intervals. It is a good test if the results start to climb or if the initial one is way up there. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

I HAVE PROSTATE CANCER. I am 73 years old. My PSA is normal. Not normal for my age, simply, NORMAL I am NOT advocating not having a PSA. It is an important test. I should know, I was in charge of a Pathology Lab for 20 years. However, it has to be used in conjunction with that old standard - "FUTA". Yes, that is right, "Finger Up The Ar**!" A bit uncomfortable for a moment but I am sure a PAP test is worse. If the specialist Urologist thinks there could be a problem, further tests will follow, regardless of your PSA. There will almost certainly be a series of biopsies and you should know nothing about them at the time as the team will have you fast asleep. You will know ALL about them for the first couple of times you pass urine. It is like pi*** razor blades. That too will pass. You will probably have an MRI. If you have not had one before, there is nothing to it (unless you are claustrophobic or can't sand the sound of jungle drums). They are hellishly noisy. And finally, if you are lucky (unlucky?) you will end up like me. I will probably die with prostate cancer rather than from it. If you have an aggressive form, the sooner it is out the better. Then, with a bit of luck, you will live to die of something else 

Colin
Colin from NSW commented:

I was clear 5 yrs back so what would be my risk be now,I turn 75 in December. 

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