Prostate cancer screening

By Murray Green

Prostate cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in a man’s prostate gland. In young men, the prostate is about the size of a walnut. As men age, the prostate usually grows larger, according to Alberta Health Services.

Prostate cancer is common in men older than 65. It usually grows slowly and can take years to grow large enough to cause any problems. As with other cancers, treatment for prostate cancer works best when the cancer is found early.

Experts don’t know what causes prostate cancer, but they believe that age, family history (genetics), and race affect your chances of getting it.

Most men don’t know they have it until it is found during a regular medical examination.

When problems are no- ticed, they are most often problems with urinating. But these same symptoms can also be caused by an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia). An enlarged prostate is common in older men.

The most common way to check for prostate cancer is to have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. PSA tests can help find some prostate cancers early, when the cancer may be easier to treat. A large study of prostate cancer screening showed that PSA testing may prevent a small number of deaths from prostate cancer.

A higher level of PSA may mean that you have prostate cancer. But it could also mean that you have an enlargement or infection of the prostate.

If your PSA is high, you may need a prostate biopsy to figure out the cause. A biopsy means that your doctor takes tissue samples from your prostate gland and sends them to a lab for testing. through the pages of e Booster

Your treatment will depend on what kind of cancer cells you have, how far they have spread, your age and general health, and your preferences.

You and your doctor may decide to manage your cancer with active surveillance or to treat it with surgery or radiation.

If you are over age 80 or have other serious health problems, like heart disease, you may choose not to have treatments to cure your cancer. Instead, you can just have treatments to manage your symptoms.

Talk with your doctor to choose the treatment that’s best for you. You may also wish to call Health Link at 811 to speak with a Registered nurse.

• The Governing Board of St. Mary’s Hospital, along with the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent De Paul annouced that Judith O’Shaughnessy has been named Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary’s Hospital. She will be taking over from Mike Shea, who will leave the hospital to become CEO of the Alberta Catholic Health Corporation.

• Tom Gerling, from Cobblers and Craftsman Quality Shoe Repair, presented a cheque for $500 to City Center Camrose Director Doug Rostad. Cobblers and Craftsman, together with Red Wing Shoes, sponsored the City Center banner on Main Street Camrose, which welcomes visitors to the downtown area.

• This year Sister Rose Bekar celebrated her 60th Anniversary as a member of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent De Paul. Her entire career has been spent in the healthcare field, where she has been recognized as a pioneer, innovator and a leader. Her lifetime of service began in 1938, in the midst of the Great Depression, when she joined the Sisters of Providence. She first came to Camrose in 1965, as Administrator of St. Mary’s, until 1976, when she was called to various positions in Saskatchewan, before returning in 1988. She has no plans for the future, but will continue her service at St. Mary’s as long as she can manage it without any undue stress.

• Harry Kuntz, Member of Parliament for Battle River, reported from Ottawa that he is ‘quite pleased’ with the fact that 10 out of 16 applications from Battle River Constituency for Opportunities for Youth grants were approved. “Of the six applications that were not accepted,” said Mr. Kuntz, “in each case a grant had already been approved via another application for that community.”

• There were a number of draws made for prizes during the Camrose Fair last week. Some of the winners were: Susan Banks from Edmonton won the Camrose Rotary Club 1973 Pinto car; Jim Duckmanton of Rosalind won the $11 grocery hamper raffled by Manulife representative, Alf Olsen; Darlene Nygaard of Sedgewick won the Strome Tigerettes 16-foot fibreglass canoe; Mrs. Ethel Riley of Leduc won the Camrose and District Kidney Foundation trip for four to Disneyland; and Rosemary Broen won the quilt raffled by the Sons of Norway Lodge.