Movember is an event held every November to raise awareness of men’s health issues such as men’s mental health, testicular cancer and prostate cancer. Alongside this, November is also Men’s Health Awareness Month.
To mark the occasion, GP and Clinical Technology Lead at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, Dr Sameer Sanghvi wants to ensure men are aware of key facts when it comes to one of the most serious health issues affecting men: prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer that affects men
"In the UK, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. 395,000 men are currently living with this type of cancer in the UK and one in eight men will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime. For black men that number’s higher - one in four.
"Although prostate cancer is very prevalent, survival rates are some of the highest. The ten-year survival rate is about 80% - around 30% higher than many of the most commonly diagnosed cancers."
It’s likely you won’t have symptoms
"Prostate cancer is slow growing and therefore you may not present with any symptoms for years. Usually, symptoms will only appear when the prostate is large enough to affect the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the tip of the penis. This is why it’s so vital to get tested if you have any concerns."
There’s no routine NHS prostate screening programme
"Despite being so common and often being symptomless, for various reasons (such as questions over the reliability of testing) there is currently no prostate screening programme in the UK. However, men over the age of 50 can arrange for a blood test after talking to their GP. If you are black or have a family history of prostate cancer, this service may be available to you after the age of 45."
Testing for prostate cancer is not limited to a rectal examination
"Men are often squeamish about prostate testing because they think it involves a digital rectal exam (or physical anal exam in other words). But this is not the case - blood tests and MRI are some of the less invasive methods of checking for prostate cancer.
"Plus, while I understand why rectal examinations can make patients feel embarrassed, I’d like to remind men that they shouldn’t be painful and are over very quickly."
Women can’t get prostate cancer
"It might seem obvious that because women don’t have a prostate, they can’t get prostate cancer. However, although very rare, there is a type of cancer that affects the Skene’s glands which women can suffer from. Skene’s glands are a group of glands and ducts at the front of the vagina similar in structure to the prostate."
Prostate cancer treatment can cause erectile dysfunction
"Unfortunately, erectile dysfunction (or ED) is often a side effect of some of the treatments used to treat prostate cancer. This is when your penis cannot become hard enough or stay hard for long enough to have sex. For this reason, Movember says ED should be seen as “couple’s disease” because it affects both partners.
"When it comes to treating ED caused by prostate cancer surgery, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Depending on the characteristics of your tumour, you may be offered nerve-sparing surgery or non-nerve-sparing surgery.
"Patients who receive the nerve-sparing option may be prescribed ED tablets, even before the surgery. After surgery, there are three lines of treatments your doctor may prescribe as first line treatment options to help you work your way back to a fulfilling sex life. These include ED tablets, vacuum devices and counselling - sometimes in combination.
"If you have non-nerve-sparing surgery, it’s unlikely ED tablets will be useful. However, there are many other treatment pathways your GP can help you explore."
