Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: what you need to know

Doctor and patient taking notes in surgery

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, yet despite prostate cancer being the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Australia, there are still a number of misconceptions around it.

In Australia, there are almost 20,000 people diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Close to 3500 die each year from the disease, which means it has a higher mortality rate than breast cancer.

Leading prostate surgeon and Director of Medical Services at Macquarie, Professor David Gillatt, says that when it comes to trying to keep your prostate healthy there are a few things to keep in mind.

“There is some evidence that the more sex you have, the better – over a lifetime that is,” Professor Gillatt says.

“Prostate cancer does slightly run in families so be aware of your family history. Also, there may be a link to dietary issues so try to eat nutritious meals.”

While prostate cancer is more common as you get older – one in seven men will be diagnosed by the age of 75 and one in five by 85 ­– Professor Gillatt recommends men get checked when they’re about 45 or earlier if they have a family history of the disease.

“The problem with early prostate cancer is it doesn’t cause symptoms. That’s why a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test is used,” he explains.

“Certainly, any urinary symptoms that are bothersome, new or different such as blood in the urine or pain should be investigated. It may not be prostate cancer, it probably won’t be, but it’s worth checking out.”

The PSA test is a simple blood test, which measures the level of prostate specific antigen in the blood, with early diagnosis of prostate cancer linked to better survival rates.

“The blood test is going to find something earlier than the physical test. A physical examination of the prostate might be necessary, but it’s probably not as good as a blood test in the first instance as a screening test,” says Professor Gillatt.

“The PSA test can diagnose some early low-grade cancers that may not be particularly threatening so, in context, you don’t want to overtreat those. However, if you treat the bad ones early, you’ll get a better outcome.”


If you would like to discuss your prostate health, you can make an appointment with a GP on campus at the MQ Health General Practice.

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