Cancercare cares for your prostate

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BUSINESS NEWS - The Movember foundation ("mo" for moustache and November) encourages men to grow moustaches in November to raise awareness of men's health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health.

Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments. It also encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

At Cancercare in Gloucester Avenue, George, Dr Hennie Pretorius supports this cause all year round as an oncologist who specialises in prostate cancer - one of the four cancers most predominantly found in our population.

The annual medical check-up by your general practitioner in November should include a full clinical examination and a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. According to Pretorius the test is not cancer specific, but will indicate anything affecting the prostate, including infection.

When an elevated PSA level is not reduced by antibiotics, the next step is a visit to the urologist. A prostate biopsy could then confirm early and curable prostate cancer. Once the urologist has completed a risk analysis, treatment for early prostate cancer could be either surgery, external radiotherapy or prostate brachytherapy.

Cancercare's offices in Gloucester Avenue, George.

Brachytherapy

Low-risk localised prostate cancer can easily be treated with brachytherapy - a type of internal radiotherapy where tiny radioactive sources are placed inside your prostate.

Each radioactive source is the size and shape of half a a grain of rice. The sources stay in the prostate and give a steady dose of radiation over a few months. This treatment guarantees a short time spent in theatre and no overnighting in a hospital, allowing patients to quickly return to their normal routine.

Thirty years ago, prostate cancer was often only diagnosed once it had reached an advanced stage. "A patient would find himself unable to urinate and would then seek help," says Pretorius.

"We would like to see a growing awareness in our communities and encourage men to have their prostates checked during a yearly examination by their GPs. If picked up in the early stages, prostate cancer is highly curable. This is why creating awareness is so important."

Cancercare's offices in Gloucester Avenue, George.