Life Begins At...

The Retiree Magazine Summer 2011-12

Life Begins At.....

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After life MEN'S HEALTH GETTING YOUR BACK! erectile function – are more likely to be achieved now than in the past. The facts about prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in men (excluding blood cancers) and the risk of getting prostate cancer in a man's lifetime is 17 per cent. PROSTATE CANCER FOUND EARLY, AND TREATED APPROPRIATELY, SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE CURED, WRITES DR CHRISTOPHER LOVE. The diagnosis of prostate cancer is devastating news to the man, his family and loved ones, but increasingly, as people are more aware of prostate cancer and the complications of treatment, concern about the cancer itself is matched by anxiety and distress about the side effects of treatment. However the outcomes of prostate cancer are now much improved and the 'trifecta' of success – cancer cure, normal bladder control, and normal 90 THE RETIREE SUMMER Prostate cancer increases in likelihood with age. A man at 40 has only a one in 1000 chance of having prostate cancer, but the risk for a man 70 to 79 years old is one in 12. It is suggested that if a man lives long enough, he will get prostate cancer eventually. There are about 20,000 new cases every year in Australia and there are 3,300 deaths every year in Australia from prostate cancer. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in men in Australia. The number of cases, the ages of the people affected, and the death rates are very similar for men with prostate cancer compared to women with breast cancer. How is prostate cancer diagnosed? Prostate cancer is most commonly diagnosed because of changes in the PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test, either a level above the average for the man's age group, or a rapid change in the level over a short time period. The other information that makes the doctor suspect prostate cancer is a change in the feel of the prostate when examined at a rectal examination. Performing a biopsy, whereby small specimens of the prostate are removed using ultrasound guidance, via the rectum, makes the diagnosis. Most men with prostate cancer these days are diagnosed before they have any symptoms, so they don't even know they have a problem, although some do have urinary troubles or other issues by the time the diagnosis is made. PROSTATE CANCER COMES THE GOOD NEWS –

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