5 Years Cancer Free

In August 2013 I went for my yearly blood test, mainly to check my cholesterol to see if I had to cut down on my cheese and wine intake (sic). A few days later my GP wanted to see me to discuss the results. It was a complete shock when he said my PSA count (Prostate Specific Antigen) showed a concerning rise from the previous years’ test. He referred me to a Urologist and after an examination and biopsy, it was confirmed that I had Prostate Cancer.

Unknown to me at the time, around 18,700 Australian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. More than 3,000 die of the disease making it the second largest cause of male cancer deaths after lung cancer. Statistics show that almost one man in eleven will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime.

Men should have regular checks just as women do for breast cancer. Caught in its early stages whilst still confined to the prostate gland, prostate cancer can be cured. If you have symptoms (refer below) it doesn’t necessarily mean you have Prostate Cancer. It could be a number of other things that can be treated. I had no symptoms at all which made it even more of a shock when told, so I was very fortunate that mine was detected at a very early stage.

With consultation with the urologist, my PSA was monitored every 6 months. Because of early diagnosis, the best approach for a growing number of men is to monitor the cancer for signs that it is getting worse. Called ‘active surveillance’ or ‘watchful waiting’, this strategy allows men with early-stage or very slow growing prostate cancer to avoid treatment and its side effects -- or actively monitor the disease and to take action if the cancer grows or spreads.

Over a period of 18 months, my PSA reading steadily increased so I felt then it was time to have the cancer treated, in my case, having the prostate removed (there are other methods but this was my choice). That was in August 2015.

Although devastated that it was happening to me at age 60, I was certainly glad I found out then, rather than in five or ten years when it may have been too late to be cured. This was when I decided to write an article for the APN magazine as there were many things I didn’t know about the disease and wanted to share what I had learnt. Too many of us avoid the subject and are afraid or embarrassed to talk about it. The following is what I resourced in case you may not have read it at the time.

So what is a Prostate? Information and images sourced from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia www.prostate.org. au/

The Prostate is an organ forming part of the male reproductive system. It is located immediately below the bladder and just in front of the bowel. Its main function is to produce fluid which protects and enriches sperm. In younger men the prostate is about the size of a walnut. It is doughnut shaped as it surrounds the beginning of the urethra, the tube that conveys urine from the bladder to the penis. The nerves that control erections also surround the prostate.

There are four main disorders of the prostate, causing general inflammation, enlargement & pain; Prostatitis, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), Prostatodynia and Prostate Cancer.

All can have similar symptoms, which may include one or more of the following:

• Waking frequently at night to urinate • Sudden or urgent need to urinate • Difficulty in starting to urinate • Slow flow of urine and difficulty in stopping • Discomfort when urinating • Painful ejaculation • Blood in the urine or semen • Decrease in libido (sex urge) • Reduced ability to get an erection Most men tend to accept the onset of one or more of these symptoms as being a natural consequence of ageing. However, anyone experiencing any of the above symptoms is advised to consult a doctor without delay. Early expert diagnosis and treatment is important and may avert potentially serious health consequences.

Prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer is the only one of the four disorders that is potentially life-threatening. One of the most worrying aspects is that many prostate cancers develop without men experiencing ANY SYMPTOMS.

Prostate cancer occurs when some of the cells of the prostate reproduce far more rapidly than in a normal prostate, causing a swelling or tumour. However, unlike BPH, prostate cancer cells eventually break out of the prostate and invade distant parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes, producing secondary tumours, a process known as metastasis. Once the cancer escapes from the prostate, treatment is possible but “cure” becomes impossible.

Prostate cancer is usually one of the slower growing cancers. In the past, it was most frequently encountered in men over 70 and many of those men died of other causes before their prostate cancer could kill them. This led to the old saying “most men die with, not of, prostate cancer”. However, that certainly is not true today.

Three developments have changed things considerably:

• Men are living longer, giving the cancer more time to spread beyond the prostate, with potentially fatal consequences. • More men in their early sixties, fifties and even forties are being detected with prostate cancer. Earlier on-set, combined with the greater male life expectancy, means those cancers have more time to spread and become life-threatening unless diagnosed and treated. • Prostate cancer in younger men often tends to be more aggressive and hence more life-threatening within a shorter time.

All men should be aware of their risk of the disease and consider being tested for it regularly from age 50 onwards, or from 40 onwards if there is a family history of prostate cancer.

Testing through a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) and subsequent prostate biopsy is currently the best available way to detect the presence of cancer.

PSA The PSA blood test looks for the presence in the blood of a protein that is produced specifically by prostate cells called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). The presence of an elevated PSA does not necessarily mean prostate cancer is present as there are other medical conditions that can lead to a PSA result outside the normal range.

The result of a PSA test needs expert evaluation by an experienced doctor. As a general rule, the higher the PSA result the greater the chance that prostate cancer is present. Where cancer is present, the PSA can predict the volume of disease. Where the PSA is less than 10, the cancer is commonly confined to the prostate. If the PSA is above 30, it is very likely the cancer has spread beyond the prostate and is therefore less likely to be curable.

If your test reveals a slightly elevated PSA, your doctor may recommend the test be repeated from time to time to establish the rate of change, if any, before recommending a biopsy.

Men should make an individual informed decision about testing based on the latest available evidence on the benefits and potential harms of testing and subsequent treatment for prostate cancer. Don’t assume you’re invincible and that nothing like this could happen to you.

Remember: It can be life threatening to wait for symptoms to appear before seeking assessment.

I hope this article has got you thinking about it. All it takes is that one appointment with your doctor for a simple blood test. Get a full health check while you’re there!

I am happy to say, I have been ‘Cancer Free’ for 5 years.

Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com