Prostate cancer poses a 1 in 27 lifetime risk for South African men, and currently accounts for 17,5% of the cancer diagnoses in SA. Here’s what you need to know.
November often sees the sudden proliferation of facial hair, specifically that which is grown and groomed in a manner reminiscent of Magnum PI’s Tom Selleck. Movember asks men – and women – to help raise awareness of men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, the number one cancer affecting men in South Africa.
Misconceptions about painful or uncomfortable diagnosis methods, as well as causes, mean that many men only start to look into the disease after the symptoms have been present for many years. As with all cancers, early detection is vital and can save lives.
Fact versus fiction
What information out there is based on fact and what’s merely rumour?
1. Having a vasectomy increases your risk of developing prostate cancer – FICTION. There have been no conclusive studies that prove this.
2. Men who are related to women with breast cancer have a higher risk – FACT. There has been a distinct link between men with prostate cancer and immediate family members who either have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.
3. Getting a prostate cancer diagnosis requires a painful and uncomfortable exam – FICTION. The Cancer Association of South Africa recommends getting the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test annually for men over the age of 40. This simple blood test requires nothing more than a thumb prick.
4. Black men are more at risk than other racial groups – FACT. Although the reason behind this has yet to be determined, there appears to be strong evidence of a higher prevalence of prostate cancer among black men.
Look out for these early warning signs and if you experience any of them, ask your GP for more details:
- Difficulty urinating
- Difficulty in stopping or starting the flow of urine, or the flow stops or starts by itself
- A weak urine flow, pain or a burning sensation during urination
- Need to urinate often, especially at night
- Difficulty in getting or maintaining an erection
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Painful ejaculations
- Pain in the lower back, hips or upper thighs
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