Prostate Cancer is one of the most diagnosed Cancers among men.
This Cancer’s risk of developing can increase with age usually after the age of 50. For some unknown reason men from Black Ethnicity, including those with African, and Caribbean ancestry have a higher risk of getting Prostrate Cancer. In White men Prostrate Cancer is less common, and in Asian men Prostate Cancer is even more uncommon. If you have a family member like a brother or father that had Prostate Cancer,or if a female in your family had Breast or Ovarian Cancer you could still be at risk.
Anyone with a Prostate can get Prostrate Cancer including Trans-women and non-binary people that were assigned as a male at birth.
In younger men the Prostate is usually about the size of a walnut, but as the men age the Prostate may grow larger.
Adenocarcinoma is 95 % of the most common type of Prostate Cancer, this type of Cancer usually found on the outer part of the prostrate, developing in more than one area of the organ which is then called multi -focal cancer.
There are some factors that could increase or decrease your risks of Prostate Cancer:
If your relative was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer before or around the age of 65 this could increase you getting Prostate Cancer. If they were diagnosed at a later age, this can decrease your chance of getting Prostate Cancer.
Being Overweight or Obese ,having a high body fat and a high body mass index, (BMI,) if you have a waistline of 37 ” or more, if you measure your waist and then divide it by your hip measurement , it is 1.0 higher all of these factors can attribute to getting Prostrate Cancer. Even being a very tall man can contribute to Prostate Cancer. Too much calcium can also be risk factors as well as smoking tobacco.
In its early stages Prostate Cancer may not have any signs and symptoms, but if there is a tumour it can grow and with the growth could be symptoms such as:
Urinating more, especially in the nighttime. A sudden or strong feeling of needing to urinate right away. Straining, or difficulty getting the flow of urine to start. You could have a weak or slow stream of urine. your urine stream could start and stop. You cannot empty your bladder completely. Incontinence with leaking or dribbles. There could be blood in your urine or semen. You may feel discomfort or pain when you are sitting due to an enlarged Prostate. It may be painful when you ejaculate. You may have a problem getting an erection ( erectile dysfunction.) You could have a lot of pain and or stiffness in your back, hips or pelvis that just won’t go away.
If you have any of these symptoms see your doctor, they will perform some tests to find out if it is Prostate Cancer, and what can be done for you. Some of the tests may include Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) A PSA, a Biopsy, MRI, CT Scans, or a bone scan which could be used to find where the cancer could be and if it has spread a lot.
Since the early 1990s, with detection and treatment the death rate caused from Prostate Cancer is now down to half of the deaths than before.
Whitevalley Resource Centre would like to thank their sponsors Interior Health and The United Way.
A weekly feature for Lumby, Cherryville, and area seniors. For more information about any of the following please contact Colleen or Jenny at (250) 547-8866 Whitevalley Community Resource Centre Office (250) 547-8866. Funding support provided by Interior Health, the Province of British Columbia (Community Gaming), United Way Southern Interior and United Way Lower Mainland.
