The cancer men don’t talk about

NOVEMBER is prostate cancer awareness month. This is an illness that few men want to talk about and even fewer want to think about. Health writer asked GVI oncology doctor Jorn Malan for the lowdown on the quick facts, as well as when and why men should be screened for prostate cancer. ý Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a substance produced by the prostate gland. Elevated PSA levels may indicate prostate cancer, a noncancerous condition such as prostatitis, or an enlarged prostate. I cannot say that prostate cancer is more prevalent in our city than others. We see more than 150 new patients a year. However, those seeing urologists and having a radical prostate operation do not get referred, so the incidence is quite high overall. It is estimated that 54 out of 100 000 men in Southern Africa will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. There has been a significant increase in the incidence of prostate cancer in recent years partly due to better public awareness. ý There is a strong genetic link with prostate cancer. Your risk of getting it doubles if a close relative had prostate cancer. Doctors also consider dietary factors. An increased total fat intake and a drop in the consumption of fruit and vegetables are considered an increased risk. If you smoke you have a four times higher risk of getting prostate cancer than a non-smoker.

The average age of men diagnosed with prostate cancer is 66. Men should understand that doing a PSA blood test once a year after the age of 50 – after age 40 if there is a family history – is not enough. They need to have a rectal examination by their GP as men can still get a cancer of the prostate with a normal PSA. The American Urological Association advises that the most important time for men to be screened, is between 55 and 69. ý All men, of all ages, should of course be examining their testicles regularly. The final suggestion would be for every one to have a colonoscopy to examine the colon at the age of 50, especially if there is a family history of colon cancer. If diagnosed early, prostate cancer is non-symptomatic. Based on stage and risk factors, the age of the patient and their fitness, a doctor will suggest surgery or radiotherapy.