Like many men, I have been a little slow in paying much
attention to my health. If it’s not broken, don’t try and fix it kind of
attitude!
Prostate Cancer was brought to my attention when a young
professional rugby player joined my local team back in England, Bedford Blues.
He was involved in awareness and fundraising and introduced Movember! This
involved not shaving for the month of November and raising funds and awareness
in the process.
I am impressed how men’s awareness of this has grown and
that now I am in the United States, there are a number of organisations that
are fundraising and increasing awareness.
So what is it and how can I tell?
A form of cancer that develops in the prostate and that can
spread to other parts of the body, especially the bones. In the worst cases, a
tumor develops and can be removed by surgery. But for most cases, it is usually
shown by pain in urinating, pain having sex, erectile dysfunction etc., but
again these symptoms can be caused by infections and other ailments.
- Difficulty urinating
- Difficulty stopping or starting urine flow
- Urine flow that is weak or that starts and stops
- Needing to urinate urgently and/or often, especially at night
- Urine leakage ( incontinence)
- Pain or burning during urination or bowel movements
- Difficulty having a bowel movement
- Problems achieving erection
- Painful ejaculation
- Blood in semen
- Swelling in legs
- Frequent pain in the thighs, hips, abdomen, or lower back
- Bone pain
- Fatigue or weakness
- Unexplained weight loss
- Nausea, vomiting, or reduced appetite
What causes it and how to avoid it?
The causes of prostate cancer still remain unknown. As the
health websites will all tell us, it affects men mostly after the age of 45, it
is commonly believed to be related to our diets and more so, to how much we
exercise. There have been many study into genetics, but as of now, there has
been no genes directly found directly responsible for this cancer. There are
many studies into hormones too, androgens specifically, but again there is no
conclusive evidence linking hormones to prostate cancer.
Risk Factors
- Age:- Men over 45 have a greater risk.
- Family History:- If there have been any known cases in the family.
- Diet:- Eating too much red meat and fatty foods, not eating enough vegetables.
- Obesity:- Again this is linked to diet, exercise and lifestyle.
- Race:- African-Americans statistically have a greater risk then Native Americans or Hispanics. Asians are lowest, with Europeans mid table statistically.
Conclusion
I’m 50 now, not 15, so
my exercise is a lot less. I accept that I may not be running any marathons,
but I play golf occasionally, I go for occasional walks and I am regularly
doing jobs around my house or yard, all of which are forms of exercise.
I have never been a great lover of fast food, and I have
always liked my vegetables and salads. Broccoli, cabbage,sprouts, carrots,
mushrooms, raspberries and pineapples are all well known to help reduce the
risk in all cancers. I like most foods, so a balanced diet is not a problem for
me. I think the old adage of everything in moderation, applies equally in our
diet as to every other part of our lives.
In my opinion, read up on it, and if you are worried about
any of the symptoms above, then discuss it with your doctor. Unfortunately,
cancer is an indiscriminate killer and could affect any of us at some time. But
I simply refuse to stop living and enjoying life! Everything in moderation and
I will keep my awareness up, but I will not let it govern my life, something I
have read several times by cancer sufferers who have beaten cancer. To all of
those people, your attitude is my inspiration!
References:-
- Cancer Cure Foundation, http://www.cancure.org/home.htm
- American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org/index
- Cancer Research UK. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/home/
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