Prostate Cancer: How Early Detection Can Make the Difference
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. According to the National Cancer Registry, South African men have a 1:17 risk of being diagnosed in their lifetime.
Body20 alongside More Balls Than Most, is advocating for early screening to diagnose the disease.
Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer diagnosed in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, after lung cancer. Prostate cancer tends to be hereditary so men need to know their family cancer history.
With many effective screening options available for prostate cancer, the disease is often caught before it spreads and as a whole, survival rates are good for this type of cancer. In this blog, we explore the importance of early screening and the options available.
What is the prostate?
The size of a walnut, the prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder) and produces fluid that makes up part of semen.
What is prostate cancer?
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas which means that cancer begins in the cells that make and release mucus and other fluids.
Prostate cancer often grows slowly and may not cause significant harm initially, but some types are more aggressive and can spread quickly without treatment.
In the early stages, men may have no symptoms. Later, symptoms can include frequent passing of urine, especially at night; difficulty starting or stopping urination; weak or interrupted urinary stream; painful or burning sensation during urination or ejaculation; blood in urine or semen. Advanced cancer can cause deep pain in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.
Who is at risk?
Although prostate cancer is rare in men younger than 40, the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. About 6 in 10 cases of prostate cancer are found in men older than 65.
Age, ethnicity, family history, weight and lifestyle factors appear to increase the risk of prostate cancer. You can lower your risk of prostate cancer by eating a healthy diet (including lots of fruit and vegetables), maintaining a healthy weight and limiting red meat and high-fat dairy products.
Symptoms do not always present themselves until cancer has spread so being proactive about your health and monthly self-examination of the testes can lead to early detection.
Use CANSA’s Online Lifestyle Risk Assessment Tool to evaluate your lifestyle.
Prof Riana Bornman, Senior Research Professor at the University of Pretoria’s School of Health Systems and Public Health states, “The most common risk factors of prostate cancer can include African ancestry, increasing age (from the ’50s onwards) and a family history of prostate cancer – on either the mother or father’s side. Annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is essential to help detect prostate cancer early, through a simple blood test”
How do screenings work?
Simple screening tests to detect prostate cancer are available. Early detection, enables more effective treatment and a better chance of recovery:
1. The Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test
Prostate specific antigen is a type of protein that enters the blood when the barriers in the prostate are damaged. It is a simple blood test that gives an indication of whether something is wrong with your prostate. It is not a cancer-specific test, but is a good indicator that further medical examination might be necessary
2. A Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)
A lot of men are embarrassed about this test but it is quick and there are only a few seconds of minor discomfort. The examining doctor inserts a gloved and lubricated finger into the rectum so that they can feel the prostate for any abnormal lumps, hardening, asymmetry or a lack of mobility.
How often should you go for screening?
Screening should be done every year. This improves the chances of detecting prostate cancer in the early stages before it has spread outside of the prostate.
What happens if screening detects a problem?
When screening gives an indication that there is a problem with the prostate, men will generally be referred to a urologist for further investigation. A prostate biopsy is used to diagnose prostate cancer. A biopsy involves inserting a number of needles into the prostate in order to obtain a small sample of the prostate cells which are then sent to a laboratory to be checked for cancer.
More Balls Than Most, driven by The Pink Drive offer mobile PSA screenings. Reach out to them on their Facebook Page or via their website for more information.
You can also contact your local CANSA Care Centre for health awareness materials and arrange for screening for prostate, colorectal or skin cancer. PSA testing is also available at public health care centres.
