(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Britain’s NHS has revealed a service meant to revolutionize how men receive prostate cancer treatment.
In the UK, lung and bowel cancer have the highest cancer death rates. But prostate cancer comes in a close overall third. For men, however, it is the most common cause of cancer in the UK, with an estimated 40,000 men being diagnosed with it per year. Recent statistics have shown that more individuals now die from prostate cancer over breast cancer in Britain.
In the US, prostate cancer is the second leading cancer for men. The Prostate Cancer Foundation and others like it host campaigns that help to raise awareness on the issue. Nutrition info for prostate relief and Prostagenix customer review sites keep the issue in the public eye. Yet, despite these stats and government efforts, knowledge of prostate health remains low.
In a survey conducted by a prostate health charity, they found that 1 in 5 men did not know what a prostate was, nor that it could cause cancer.
The men surveyed totaled 1,900 and results were as follows:
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92 percent did not understand the role the prostate plays
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54 percent did not know where in the body the prostate is located
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17 percent were unaware they had a prostate
Largest advancement in prostate cancer treatment in decades
Fast diagnosis times often mean the difference between cancer mortality or cancer survival. The NHS has launched a trial service meant to reduce the diagnostic time from 56 days to 17 days.
Patients are admitted and get an MRI scan in the morning. Four out of ten men will get a clean bill of health and be discharged within 6 hours. The men who are asked to remain are given biopsies and sent home by the end of the day. Within a week, results are sent to patients, and those men who need treatment are given access to it within 2 to 3 weeks.
This new process slashes wait times for patients from six weeks to that of a few days. Advocates of the £1.6 million NHS trial say that it is the largest advancement in the fight against prostate cancer in years.
But getting men to sign up for testing remains a challenge.
Symptoms of prostate cancer are not guaranteed
Not all men will experience symptoms or pain associated with prostate cancer. And it is possible to have prostate cancer and be unaware until screening. There are symptoms, however, that doctors and health advocates note are common side effects of the disease. These include the following:
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Difficulties with having or maintaining an erection
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Pain when ejaculating
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Frequent need to urinate, particularly during the night hours
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Difficulty with urinating, even when the need is there
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Weakened urinating flow
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Pain or burning when urinating
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Blood appearing in semen or urine
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Stiffness or pain in the lower back or hips
Since these symptoms are not guaranteed to show in cancer patients, it can be difficult for men to know when they are at risk. General safety guidelines by prostate health foundations include the following:
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At 50 years old, have a conversation with your family doctor on prostate screening.
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If you are African American, have a prostate cancer screening at 45 years old.
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If you have a family history of prostate cancer, have a prostate cancer screening at 45 years old. (African American men or those with a history of prostate cancer are 2.5 times at greater risk of developing it.)
Prevention is better than cure
Along with regular screenings, there are ways to reduce your risk of developing it in the first place, says Mayo Clinic experts. At the top of their list is choosing a low-fat diet. In studies that they researched, men who had a diet high in fat had a higher risk of prostate cancer.
Additionally, they recommend fats from plants over fats from animals. For instance, choosing olive oil over butter, and nuts and seeds over cheese. Fruits and vegetables should also make regular appearances in this preventative diet. For proteins that reduce prostate cancer risk, fatty fish contains a type of acid that has been linked to prevention. Dairy products should be eaten sparingly. Studies have shown that men who consume a large number of dairy products daily have the highest risk of prostate cancer.
Additionally, those with a BMI of 30 or higher increase their risk of the disease. Thus, maintaining a healthy weight or working to lose weight are both steps men can take to reduce possible risk factors.