Men must familiarise themselves with Signs of prostate cancer

Men, do not neglect your prostate health – it could be a matter of life and death, says

MEN, we want you to be roadworthy. Book in that regular service to make sure there is no engine trouble on the horizon as you travel down the highway.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Using the analogy of having a faulty fuel injector may not necessarily mean prostate cancer.

Early prostate cancer rarely demonstrates symptoms.

Even when prostate cancer is advanced at the time of diagnosis, there may be no symptoms.

However, Cancer Council recommends men get to know the symptoms of prostate cancer and if they experience any of them, they should discuss their options with their GP.

Over the past years, due to a concerted focus on urging men to get checked, the number of prostate cancer diagnoses has increased considerably to more than 19,000 each year in Australia.

But increased diagnoses may not be a bad thing – early detection with any cancer could save your life.

Compared with other cancers, prostate cancer has one of the highest five-year survival rates if diagnosed early. The focus on prostate cancer has also generated a significant investment into its research.

Very encouraging outcomes are being achieved related to detection, treatments and understanding the potential cause of prostate cancer.

Cancer Council Tasmania’s investment into Tasmanianbased research, in particular into family history and understanding the genetic changes in cancer, is producing some very positive results. Prostate cancer is the cancer with the highest diagnosis rate in Tasmania.

Prostate cancer is rare before the age of 45, with the statistics indicating that more than 560 Tasmanian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.

It equates to 29 per cent of all cancer diagnoses among Tasmanian males, and accounted for just over 8 per cent of cancer deaths among males in Tasmania in 2017.

One in three cancers can be prevented. Prostate cancer isn’t preventable.

The causes of prostate cancer are unknown, but factors that can increase the risk include:

· Older age, most commonly diagnosed in men aged 60–79

· Epidemiological studies consistently identify family history as the strongest risk factor.

· A strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer

But, like all cancers, there are things you can do that may reduce the risk.

Aside from a good diet and body weight, there is evidence to show regular physical activity and exercise can be protective factors. There is no single, simple test to detect prostate cancer. It is important to make your own decision about whether to be tested after discussion with your doctor. Ensure you get goodquality information to make an informed decision.

Cancer Council’s position on testing is every man has the right to decide for himself whether or not to be tested – and that his decision should be an informed choice.

Unfortunately, current tests for prostate cancer are not good at differentiating between cancers needing aggressive treatment and those that should be left alone. Cancer Council is also aware there is an inequity of access to some testing options.

A PET (positron emission tomography) scan may help detect cancer that has spread or come back. For prostate cancer, the scan usually uses gallium to show prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA). The cost of this scan is not covered by Medicare.

If you don’t have sufficient funds and are unable to afford private health insurance, your ability to access a PSMA scan is limited. This needs to change. All men with a prostate cancer diagnosis should have access to this test if needed. Support at Cancer Council Tasmania is always available at 1300 65 65 85.

Please reach out. Don’t turn off the ignition, there is a lot of travelling to do, even in a Covid-19-restricted world.

Penny Egan is the CEO of Cancer Council Tasmania