Ensure The Good Health Of Your Prostate | Health

April 10, 2012 11:09 AM

Ensure The Good Health Of Your Prostate

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By Hazlinda Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 (Bernama) ? ?Wives can nag their husbands straight to the doctor?s clinic to ensure they undergo the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test,? said Dr Amit Bahl, Clinical Director at Bristol Haematology Oncology Centre, UK, in jest.

The Consultant Clinical Oncologist who was in town recently, was referring to prostate cancer, the third most common type of cancer in men worldwide and the fourth most common cancer in Malaysian men.

This cancer grows in the prostate gland, located behind the bladder.

And if the cancer spreads further, it is then known as metastatic prostate cancer; where the cancer spreads from the prostate to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body, particularly the bones.

Nevertheless, treatment is available for all patients with metastatic cancer, with the primary goal to control the growth of the cancer and to relieve accompanying symptoms.

MOST COMMON

?Close to 29,000 cases were reported in Southeast Asia in 2008. We still find a lack of awareness about the PSA screening in this part of the Asian region due to many reasons, including Asian men who shy away from talking about the condition of their prostate. Men should be more willing to go to their physician to find out more about the PSA tests,? said Dr. Bahl, talking to a group of local reporters.

In Malaysia, 40.6 per cent of prostate cancer cases were diagnosed at stage I and II.

When asked what men can do to keep prostate cancer at bay, Dr. Bahl replied; ?Whatever is good for the heart, is definitely good for your prostate. And that includes adequate exercise and ensuring moderation in consuming red meat.?

PSA SCREENING

The PSA screenings are 95 per cent accurate in detecting cancer. It is certainly recommended if one has some of the symptoms.

Repeat tests for those who have no symptoms are recommended at least once in five years. However, those with symptoms but not diagnosed as cancerous should opt to have the tests annually.

?Men should have their prostates checked through the PSA screening starting from 50 years of age. Once, they used to be diagnosed from the ages of 68 to 70, but now men as early as 40 years old face greater risk of prostate cancer,? explained Dr. Bahl, who is currently a member of the National Cancer Research Institute?s Clinical Studies Group for prostate and bladder cancer.

?By 2030, it is anticipated that the number of prostate cancer cases will almost double to a startling 1.7 million,? Dr. Bahl continued.

Of note, a disturbing 10 to 20 per cent of patients are diagnosed after the cancer has already spread.

According to the Internal Agency for Research on Cancer, prostate cancer incident rates are highest in Australia, New Zealand, Western and Northern Europe, and North America. Statistics also indicate that Asian men register much lower incident rates.

However, the increase in PSA screening has been attributed to the detection of more prostate cancer cases.

TREATMENTS

There are different treatments available for metastatic prostate cancer and they include hormone therapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Hormone therapy prevents the body?s natural hormones from assisting the prostate cancer cell growth, while the immunotherapy method of treatment for metastatic prostate cancer boosts or restores the immune system?s ability to fight cancer.

Further, chemotherapy treatment for the metastatic prostate condition uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells by either killing the cells or preventing them from dividing.

On the other hand, radiation therapy uses high energy rays to kill the cancer cells, affecting the cells only in the treated area.

Of note, patients having a Digital Rectum Examination (DRE) and early PSA screenings will help prevent delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer.

?Many elderly patients suffering from localised prostate cancer prefer to only be monitored after being diagnosed. They do not go for the more radical treatment options since they may have other complications, although their suffering has already reached an advanced stage,? the consultant clinical oncologist added.

It is surely better to know of your health status through these tests and screenings as early as possible than to live in fear, only to find out of an advanced stage prostate cancer after it is too late to be treated.

AWARENESS

The month of November has been declared as the month to raise vital funds and awareness about men?s health; specifically for prostate cancer and other cancers affecting men.

The awareness movement that was initiated in Melbourne, Australia calls for men all over the world to grow a moustache during November, with the encouragement and support of their spouses.

Formal awareness campaigns are popular among others in the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Belgium.

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Article source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v6/newsfeatures.php?id=658067

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