Nearly 70 men attended an information evening on prostate cancer at the Alpine Hotel last Thursday night.
The evening was sponsored by the Monaro Committee for Cancer Research and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
Guest speakers were prostate ambassador John Hayhoe and local survivor, Chris Reeks.
Mr Hayhoe gave a powerpoint presentation to the gathering, explaining where and what the prostate is and what it does.
He stressed that early detection saves lives and urged all men to have a PSA blood test (to assess antigen levels) done so a baseline reading could be determined. Regular PSA tests would then reveal if the situation was changing so preventative action could be taken.
Mr Hayhoe said one of the difficultires in diagnosing prostate cancer early is that there are often no symptoms.
However, there are also a number of symptoms which could indicate a problem and should prompt men to see their doctor.
These include a variety of problems in urinating which can be caused by an enlarged prostate affecting urinary flow.
The empahsis was on preventative measures, however.
Mr Hayhow recommended a number of steps to lessen the risk of developing prostate cancer, including maintaining an ideal weight, eating fresh foods, eating selenium enriched food, not smoking and reducing stress.
Chris Reeks was able to speak to the gathering about his experiences in dealing with prostate cancer, which was diagnosed in 2007, when he had a radical prostectomy. This year, he underwent radiation treatment.
Chris said he wasn’t sick before his diagnosis and was diagnosed after a regular checkup showed some abnormalities.
He said he had suffered some side-effects as a result of treatment, but said men had to decide which was less desirable – the side effects or the consequences of doing nothing. While PSA tests and digital rectal examinations can indicate a problem, Mr Hayhoe said a biopsy was the definitive test.
This requires the collection of tissue from various areas of the prostate which are then diagnosed.
Mr Hayhoe said ideally, detection should take place while the cancer is still within the proostate gland. One the cancer escapes from the prostate, it is harder to cntorol and can travel to other parts of the body.
Mr Hayhoe urged all men aged 50 onwards to have an annual checkup for cnacer. He said men in their 40s, who have a family history of prostate cancer should also start having checkups.
Members of the audience joined the discussion.
One man said he had been diagnosed 15months ago and he urged all men to have a PSA test every six months so any elevation in that reading could be acted upon.
Another man explained how he had undergone ‘keyhole’ surgery for his cancer.
This provoked comment form te audience that men in Cooma have to wait for six months or more before they can get into a specialist urologist in Canberra for further assessment.
Organiser and cancer nurse Bronnie Taylor commented that a lack of specialist in rural areas is why there is a 21 percent higher mortality rate in prostate sufferers in rural areas than in the city.