Prostate Cancer UK’s latest campaign gathers pace, Nel Staveley reports on why we should all be going with this flow
It’s a cliche, but men are notoriously bad at going to see the doctor – or good at avoiding going to see them, depending on which way you look at it.
Somewhere, right now, a bloke will be groaning that he doesn’t feel well, a woman will be nagging him to go and see their GP, and the man will shrug, and perhaps mumble that he “might go later”. Sometimes this doesn’t matter. But sometimes, it matters a lot.
Take prostate cancer. An early diagnosis would give a man a 90% chance of surviving for more than 10 years. A late diagnosis, when the disease has already spread to stage 4, means a mere 30% chance that you’ll live for more than five.
So, armed with this knowledge, and adding it to the fact that men often don’t listen to their wives/partners/mothers about getting themselves checked out, Prostate Cancer UK has come up with a plan. It’s called Men United (www.prostatecanceruk.org/menunited), and it does exactly what it says on the tin.
It’s calling for men to unite and support each other in the awareness of a cancer that will affect one in eight of them in their lives. “Since it was launched 12 months ago, Men United has caught the imagination, and a new zeal for change in men’s health – with more than 200,000 people signing up to pledge support,” explains a Prostate Cancer UK spokesperson.
“Men from all walks of life, from footballers to lawyers and politicians to plumbers, have formed a growing army, raising funds to find answers for the future, through research and supporting men now.”
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Owen Sharp, Chief executive at Prostate Cancer UK, says: “Prostate Cancer UK’s aim is to beat prostate cancer. Men United is the movement that will help us achieve this. “The more men who get behind Men United, the more men Prostate Cancer UK will be able to call upon to push forward real change and have a greater impact on men’s health throughout the UK, from more effective testing to better treatments.
“We’ve made some good strides with addressing the injustice around prostate cancer, but with one man an hour still dying of the disease, there is a long way to go.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
To help achieve that goal, it’s critical everyone knows the symptoms and risk factors of a disease that is predicted to be the most common form of cancer by 2030. Remember, these symptoms don’t always indicate cancer and are often caused by something harmless, but it’s always worth getting them checked out.
Early symptoms of prostate cancer include:
Needing to urinate more frequently, often during the night.
Needing to rush to the toilet.
Difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy).
Straining or taking a long time while urinating.
Weak flow.
Feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully.
Pain when passing urine.
Blood in the urine or semen.
Later stage symptoms might include:
Pain in your back, hips and pelvis.
Weight loss, particularly in elderly men.
Difficulty getting an erection.
RISK FACTORS
Family history
You are two-and-a-half times more likely to get prostate cancer if your father or brother has been diagnosed with it, compared to a man who has no family history of the disease, and you may have a higher chance of getting prostate cancer if your relative was under 60 when they were diagnosed, or if more than one first degree relative (father or brother) have had it.
Experts also suggest you may have a higher risk if your mother or sister has had breast cancer linked to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, particularly if they were diagnosed under the age of 60.
Ethnicity
Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than men of other ethnic backgrounds. In the UK, about one in four black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives.
Age
Prostate cancer mainly affects men over the age of 50, and risk increases with age. The average age for men to be diagnosed is between 70 and 74 years. If you are under 50, your risk of getting prostate cancer is very low. Younger men can be affected, but this is rare.
Diet
As with most cancers, a poor diet can increase your risk of prostate cancer. Experts say you should limit dairy and calcium (more than 2000mg of calcium a day might increase your risk, this is equal to 1.6L of milk); processed and red meat (limit red meat to 300g cooked meat a week; very well-done or burnt meat (it produces chemicals that can damage normal cells and cause cancer); saturated fat; alcohol (keep within government recommendations) and some dietary supplements (high doses of vitamin E supplements have been linked to a higher risk of prostate cancer).
Conversely, soy food and pulses, green tea, tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, pak choi, spinach and kale) have all been found to possibly help reduce the risk.
Lack of exercise
Again, a prime culprit, lack of physical activity will leave you more vulnerable to prostate cancer. Guidelines say you need to aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five times a week – enough to get out of breath, such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming. Or you could do 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, such as running, tennis or football.
Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer can contact Prostate Cancer UK’s specialist nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 (Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm; until 8pm on Wednesdays) or via their online instant messaging service. Visit www.prostatecanceruk.org