June is Men’s Health Month and men should take time to look at their overall health.
Cancer of the prostate is now recognised as one of the principal medical problems facing the male population.
The disease accounts for nine per cent of all cancer deaths among men.
“As men live longer, an increase in both incidence and mortality of prostate cancer can be observed,” said Dr Marek Borkowski, an urologist at the Life Roseacres Clinic.
The GCN told the story of the first prostate brachytherapy (radioactive prostatic implants) marathon performed by Borkowski and his team in 2012, when they operated on 10 patients at Life Roseacres Clinic.
The therapy has continued and, since 2012, there have been 52 brachytherapy operations performed by the team, including 15 this year, so far.
In total, since Borkowski started with brachytherapy, in 2006, he has performed 110 operations.
Three doctors are involved in the operations at Life Roseacres Clinic, namely Borkowski, Dr Wayne van Niekerk (oncologist) and Dr Bernard Katz (anaesthetist), along with a dedicated team of nursing sisters.
The introduction of an effective blood test PSA (prostate-specific antigen), with the combination of DRE (digital rectal examination) and TRUS (trans-rectal ultrasound guided systemic biopsy), has made it possible to diagnose more and more men in an earlier stage of prostate cancer.
These patients can be offered potentially curative treatment.
Brachytherapy has become a very effective tool in the curing of prostate cancer, which is a malignancy of one of the major male sex glands.
Symptoms of prostate cancer include the intense need to urinate often, burning or pain during urination and the inability to urinate when you need to.
Borkowski urges men who are older than 45 to go for regular tests.
He has continued his private full-time practice at Roseacres for the past 11 years, with the co-operation of specialists from the clinic.
He has an excellent relationship with at least 50 general practitioners from Germiston, Boksburg, Sunward Park, Edenvale and Bedfordview.
In addition to prostate cancer, Borkowski also has an extreme interest in stones treatment, bladder cancer, incontinence treatment and the treatment of sexual dysfunction.
With regard to community work, he offers his services free of charge to residents of the Avril Elizabeth Home, who might be in need of them.
For Men’s Health Month he plans to have a day where he offers free testing to a certain number of patients — the date is yet to be announced.
