Prostate Cancer Information Day at Broken Hill Hospital on 14 August 2019
Cancer Services staff will be holding a Prostate Cancer Information Day in the Broken Hill Hospital foyer on Wednesday 14 August from 9am to 2pm.
The Prostate Cancer Information Day provides an opportunity to ask staff questions about prostate cancer, including signs and symptoms, risk factors, screening tests, treatment options, bowel and bladder health, wellbeing, health and lifestyle issues. Partners and families most welcome.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with 17,000 men diagnosed in Australia each year. Usually prostate cancer is a disease of older males (women do not have a prostate gland), with one in five men receiving the diagnosis before 80 years of age.
John (not his real name) has a diagnosis of prostate cancer. John went to his GP complaining about difficulty in urinating. He was given a blood test which indicated he had a low Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) count. He was referred to a Urologist who visits Broken Hill Hospital. Based upon further tests, the urologist recommended a monitoring or 'wait and see' approach which involves blood tests every three months and regular visits to the specialist.
For many men with prostate cancer, the 'wait and see' approach might be all that is required, as prostate cancer tends to be slow growing. Many men live with prostate cancer for many years with few or no side effects. Most men will die with prostate cancer rather than from it.
As for all cancers, the earlier the cancer is detected the easier it is to treat. Unfortunately early diagnosis is made more difficult because there may be few initial symptoms. Those symptoms that may occur include unexplained weight loss, feeling the frequent and urgent need to urinate, or pain in the lower back/ pelvis area. A GP visit is recommended if you are experiencing these symptoms.