A balanced lifestyle and screening are essential to lowering the risk and recurrence of the disease, which currently afflicts one in seven men in South Africa during their lifetime.
While some disease risk factors cannot be controlled, such as family history, age and race, others can be minimised by following a wholesome eating plan, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, avoiding alcohol intake as well as doing regular exercise.
Prostate cancer, the number one cancer affecting one in 18 men in our country, often develops without any symptoms in the early stages.
However, when the disease is advanced, symptoms are likely to occur and these include straining to pass urine, leaking urine, bloody urine and bone pain. If prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated early, the prognosis is often good.
Cansa recommends regular screening from 40 years and up, especially if there is any family history of cancer. Screening is undertaken with a blood test, called the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test, to detect any prostate abnormalities. Tests are available at all Cansa Care Centres – https://www.cansa.org.za/cansa-care-centres-contact-details/
- Survivor
Jacob Skosana, a prostate cancer survivor, said: “Honestly, I wouldn’t consult my GP on my own to ask him or her to test me for cancer. It never dawned on me that I might have cancer. When the results came back following a blood test at a Cansa wellness day, they indicated that my PSA levels were high.
“I was immediately referred to a specialist who confirmed I had prostate cancer. I’m grateful for the workplace wellness programme and thankful to Cansa.”
- Research
Currently underway are three Cansa research projects led by Dr Karl-Heinz Storbeck, Dr Serafin and Prof Bornman. The project is looking to identify clinical markers of prostate cancer which can serve to indicate a specific biological state or condition.
This research could assist in identifying prostate cancer earlier and could also identify the men who are more at risk of getting prostate cancer.
ALSO VISIT: https://www.cansa.org.za/south-african-cancer-statistics/
(Information: Cancer Association of South Africa).
