Causes, how to protect yourself & treatment… answers to common questions about prostate cancer that could save your life
NEARLY half of all men don’t know where their prostate is or what it does – although one of them dies every 45 minutes from cancer of this gland.
Brookside actor Dean Sullivan, 68, who played Jimmy Corkhill, passed away from the disease last month — while TV host Kym Marsh revealed her dad David, 73, was near to succumbing, after putting off seeing a GP in lockdown.
But despite high-profile cases such as these, the charity Prostate Cancer UK says 35 per cent of men don’t realise early stage prostate cancer often has NO symptoms, while 44 per cent are clueless about where the prostate is and 47 per cent do not know about its role in creating semen.
The charity estimates 14,000 men in the UK currently have prostate cancer without knowing.
Referral numbers fell during the pandemic, suggesting many men were not getting checked.
Sun on Sunday GP Dr Jeff Foster describes the disease as “a silent killer” and said we must urgently educate men, to save lives.
Here, Dr Jeff answers some common questions . . .
WHAT IS THE PROSTATE?
IT is a small gland in the pelvis and part of the male reproductive system.
About the size of a walnut, it is located between the penis and bladder. As men age it naturally gets bigger.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
IT produces a thick white fluid that mixes with sperm to create semen.
WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF PROSTATE CANCER?
IN the early stages, there are often none.
But as the disease progresses, men might notice reduced urine flow, difficulty starting or stopping pee, incomplete emptying of the bladder, and getting up often in the night for the loo.
If you have pain or swelling in your bones, or blood in your urine, see your GP.
HOW DO I GET DIAGNOSED?
IT can be hard to tell the difference between a benign, non-cancerous prostate that naturally grows over time and one that has cancerous cells in it.
The cancer can develop slowly over many years or rapidly over just a few months.
That is why it is important to know about your risk.
You are more at risk if you are 50 or over, are black or have a history of prostate or breast cancer in your family.
WHAT CAUSES PROSTATE CANCER?
WE still don’t know exactly but prostate cancer is a very lifestyle-sensitive disease, so as we get less healthy, drink too much alcohol and become more obese, this significantly increases our risk.
Not doing enough exercise also raises your risk.
WHO GETS IT?
IT is most commonly diagnosed between ages 70 and 74 but, due to poor lifestyles, some of the more aggressive forms are seen in men in their thirties and forties.
HOW MANY CASES ARE THERE A YEAR?
CURRENTLY, around 52,000 men are diagnosed every year in the UK.
But the problem is growing, with cases predicted to rise to around 85,000 annually by 2040.
WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF?
MEN over 50 — or 45 in the black population — can ask their GP for a PSA blood test.
This will measure the amount of prostate-specific antigen in your blood. But it does have a ten to 15 per cent false-negative rate so some cancers are missed.
Last month, the Government joined forces with Prostate Cancer UK to launch a £42million trial in the hope of finding better screening techniques.
A new blood test that can detect 90 per cent of cases is available, but only privately.
HOW IS IT TREATED?
IN mild cases we do “watchful waiting” where it is monitored.
The cancer usually progresses slowly, so most men can go for decades without symptoms or treatment.
In advanced or aggressive cancers, you may need radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgery.
‘A blood test saved my life’
FORMER athlete Joe Appiah was diagnosed with prostate cancer after asking his GP for a blood test in July 2021.
Joe, 53, who lives in Bromley, Kent, with wife Tammie, 52, said: “A friend who was the same age, and fit and healthy like me, had been diagnosed and told me that I should get checked as one in four black men will get prostate cancer.
“So I booked myself an appointment with my GP.
“He said I had nothing to worry about. But I insisted I had the test.
“A simple blood test revealed my PSA levels were 17, when they should have been around three for my age.
“A physical exam was clear and an MRI was inconclusive. A biopsy later revealed I had prostate cancer.
“It was a huge shock for me. A PET scan revealed it had not spread and in September 2021 I had surgery to remove my prostate.
“I was very lucky it was detected early.
“If it hadn’t been for my friend, I might not have found out until it was too late.”