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Prostate CancerIn New Zealand prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men over the age of 45 and the leading cause of cancer related deaths in men over the age of 75 years. Around 2,700 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and around 600 men die from it - (that's nearly two each day). What is prostate cancer?Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate gland. The prostate glad is a small gland that lies at the base of the penis in front of the back passage. Prostate cancer ranges from slow growing cancers, which are the more common type, to very fast growing cancers. Slow growing cancers may not cause any symptoms or shorten life. The fast growing cancers can spread to other parts of the body. Signs and Symptoms of possible prostate cancer include:- straining to begin urinating These symptoms are in most cases not caused by cancer but are due to pressure on the urethra from an enlarged prostate which is part of the normal aging. However all symptoms should be checked by your doctor. Testing for prostate cancerRegular testing using a blood test to check for the presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) can help to detect cancer earlier. An elevated PSA may indicate that your risk of having cancer is higher than someone with a normal level. The higher the PSA level, the higher is the risk of having prostate cancer. Further testing is the only way to positively diagnose cancer. This will involve a digital rectal examination, or DRE (an examination of the prostate gland through the back passage). If this is positive, a biopsy (a sample of the tissue of the prostate) may be done. A biopsy is the only accurate way to diagnose the cancer. How to lower the riskThe causes of prostate cancer are not yet fully understood but there is increasing evidence that there are some risk factors. Doing regular exercise to help maintain a healthy body weight and reducing the amount of red meat that is eaten may help lower the risk of prostate cancer. Other risk factors that cannot be changed include a family history of prostate cancer (a brother or father who has had prostate cancer) and increasing age. 82% of prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 60. For cancer information and support free phone 0800 CANCER (226 237) or go to www.cancernz.org.nz. |
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