How men can get checked for prostate cancer
With Sir Chris Hoy recently revealing his cancer is terminal, prostate cancer experts tell us how men can get tested for the disease
Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) says one in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, and it’s the most common cancer in men – more than 52,000 are diagnosed with the disease in the UK every year.
It comes as cycling great, Sir Chris Hoy, recently revealed his prostate cancer is terminal, and he has been given two to four years left to live.
The Olympic gold medallist, 48, was diagnosed with cancer last year after a tumour was found in his shoulder. Scans found primary cancer in his prostate, which has metastasised to his bones.
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Laura Kerby, chief executive at Prostate Cancer UK, points out that Hoy only found out he had prostate cancer because of a routine scan for shoulder pain, and stresses: “Too many men like Sir Chris are diagnosed purely by chance, often when it’s too late for them to be cured.
“The earlier you find prostate cancer, the easier it is to treat. The disease often has no symptoms in its earlier stages, so it’s vital you know your risk.”
Former prostate surgeon and professor of urology, Roger Kirby, says prostate cancer results in more than 11,000 deaths a year in the UK. “For reasons that are unclear, we’re seeing more cases in younger men, including Sir Chris Hoy,” he says.
“The key to better outcomes for those with prostate cancer is to detect the disease at the stage when it is still confined to the prostate, before it has spread.”
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The disease mainly affects men over 50, and the risk increases with age. Kirby says: “Certain individuals, such as those with a positive family history – like Sir Chris Hoy [whose father and grandfather both suffered from the disease] – or men of Afro-Caribbean origin, are more susceptible to prostate cancer than others, and consequently need to be monitored more closely.”
Although some prostate cancers grow too slowly to cause problems and will never need treatment, others grow quickly and are more likely to spread, so it’s vital men are checked if they have symptoms, say the experts.
But early prostate cancer doesn’t usually cause any symptoms, and although some men might have urinary problems, they can be a sign of a benign prostate problem, rather than prostate cancer. Symptoms such as difficulty starting to urinate or emptying the bladder, or needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night, should all be checked by a GP, who may decide further tests are needed.
Testing for prostate cancer may include…
PSA test
Kirby says men with possible prostate problems may be given a blood test to measure the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in their blood. PSA is a protein produced by normal cells in the prostate, and also by prostate cancer cells.
It’s normal to have a small amount of PSA in your blood. Raised PSA can indicate many problems, including an enlarged prostate, prostatitis (infection or inflammation of the prostate), or prostate cancer. But some men with a normal PSA level may still have prostate cancer.
Alan White, 64, emeritus professor of men’s health at Leeds Beckett University, and patron of the Men’s Health Forum, was diagnosed with prostate cancer himself last year. He says: “Having a PSA test is an ideal starting point for any man who has any kind of urinary difficulties as they’re getting older, because you never know whether you’ve got a simple problem or one that’s more complex.”
Digital rectal examination
A digital rectal examination (DRE) involves a doctor or nurse feeling the prostate through the wall of the back passage (rectum). Prostate Cancer UK stresses that men don’t have to have a DRE, and can opt to have just a PSA test instead.
White explains: “I had very few symptoms, but thought because I was in my 60s, I’d better get checked. The test showed that my PSA was raised, and there was no rectal examination – they didn’t need to. If your PSA is raised, they’ll check it again in three months time, and if it’s still raised, they’ll send you for a scan.”
MRI scan
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan may be used to get a detailed picture of the prostate and surrounding tissues.
Kirby says: “Prostate cancer can now be accurately identified using MRI scanning, which also helps the clinician to guide the biopsy needle to confirm the diagnosis. Surgery or radiotherapy can then be deployed.”
White says MRI scans are the best way for doctors to get a precise picture of what’s going on with the prostate. After his own scan and biopsy, he had an intensive course of radiotherapy, and his PSA is now dropping.
“I’ve come through it, but I didn’t have a whole raft of symptoms in the first place,” he says. “I thought it was necessary to have a check, it was identified and treated, and now I’m fine.”
He adds: “The key issue is that men shouldn’t be frightened of getting checked. It’s much easier if you find something early on, when there are many treatment options, and the longer you leave it, the fewer treatment options there are.
“It’s not embarrassing to get a check – doctors deal with these things day in, day out.”
Find out your prostate cancer risk by taking the online Risk Checker in 30 seconds on the Prostate Cancer UK website,
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