3. Prostate Cancer
• Prostate cancer is the most
common cancer in men
• In the UK, 35,000 men are
diagnosed with prostate cancer
every year
• In the UK, 11,000 men die of
prostate cancer every year
4. Prostate vs Breast Cancer
• Breast cancer is the second most
common cancer in the UK
• There were 12,082 deaths from breast
cancer in the UK in 2007
• 11,990 (99%) of these were in women
and 92 (1%) were in men
7. The main types of
prostate problems
• a non-cancerous enlargement of the
prostate called Benign Prostatic
Hyperplasia (BPH) – this is the most
common prostate problem
• inflammation or infection of the
prostate (prostatitis)
• prostate cancer
8. Most common symptoms
• A weak or reduced urine flow
• A need to urinate more often, especially at
night
• A feeling that your bladder has not emptied
properly
• Difficulty starting to pass urine
• Dribbling urine
• Needing to rush to the toilet – you may
occasionally leak urine before you get there
9. If you have any of these
symptoms, visit your GP!
11. Who is most at risk?
• Prostate cancer mainly affects men over the age of 50
• Younger men can be affected but this is rare
• The risk of developing prostate cancer rises with age
• Your risk increases if a close family member (father or
brother) has prostate cancer
• Your risk increases further if more than one close
relative has prostate cancer, or if your relative was
under the age of 60 when they were diagnosed
• In the UK, Afro-Caribbean men are three times more
likely than white men to develop prostate cancer
12. What can I do to help
prevent developing prostate
cancer?
13. Improve your diet
• You cannot alter most risk factors; but you
can control your diet. This will also have
other health benefits such as reducing your
risk of heart disease and diabetes
• Research suggests that some foods not only
help to prevent prostate cancer, but may also
slow down the growth of prostate cancer in
men who already have the disease, or reduce
the chance of prostate cancer returning after
treatment
14. What should I eat?
What should I eat more of? What does it do? How do I include it in my diet?
Fruit and vegetables
Reduces your risk of cancer and
other medical problems
Eat at least five portions each day
Try to include a ‘rainbow of colours’ in your diet
Cruciferous vegetables
May reduce your risk of getting
prostate cancer
Eat more cabbage-like vegetables such as broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy and kale
Lycopene
May reduce your risk of
prostate cancer and slow down
its spread
Lycopene is found in tomatoes (particularly cooked and
processed tomatoes), watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava
and papaya
Green tea
May protect against
development and growth of
prostate cancer
Try drinking green tea in place of any hot drinks you have
throughout the day
Oily fish
Fats in oily fish may help
prevent prostate cancer
developing and growing
Eat fresh, canned or frozen oily fish two or three times each
week
Examples of oily fish include sardines, pilchards, mackerel,
salmon, tuna (fresh or frozen tuna only) and shrimp
Soy
May reduce the risk of prostate
cancer
Choose traditional forms of soy such as tofu, miso and
tempeh, available from supermarkets and health food shops
Pulses
May help to prevent prostate
cancer
Include more beans, peas and lentils in your diet
Whole grains
May reduce your risk of several
cancers, including prostate
cancer
Whole grain foods include brown bread, whole grain cereals,
whole grain pasta
15. AA RainRainbowbow ofof ColoursColours
Red
Tomatoes, raspberries, watermelon, kidney beans, strawberries,
red onions, radishes, red peppers
Purple Aubergines, grapes, aduki beans, blueberries, red cabbage, plums
Orange
Carrots, oranges, mangoes, apricots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin,
orange peppers, butternut squash
Yellow Pineapples, sweetcorn, peaches, chicory, bananas, yellow peppers
Green
Spinach, broccoli, avocados, peas, pears, kiwi fruit, lettuce, green
peppers, courgettes, marrows, fresh herbs, watercress
16. What happens at the doctor’s?
• You can talk to your doctor about your
symptoms and you can ask any him/her any
questions you may have
• Your doctor may ask you to fill out a
questionnaire about your symptoms to see how
much bother they are causing you
• There are a few tests that your doctor may
carry out to find out if you have a prostate
problem
17. What are the tests?
Common tests are:
• A urine ‘dipstick’ test to check for infection
• A blood test called a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
test – usually done once an infection has been ruled
out
• A physical examination called DRE (Digital Rectal
Examination) – usually done after the urine and blood
tests
• A test to measure the force of your urine flow
• An ultrasound scan to check whether your bladder is
emptying properly
18. The PSA Test
• The prostate gland makes a protein called
PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen). It is normal
to have some PSA in the blood. The PSA level
rises as you get older, so a man aged 70 will
have a higher PSA than a man aged 50
• Your GP can measure the amount of PSA in
your blood by taking a sample of your blood
and sending it to a laboratory to be tested.
If there is a problem in the prostate caused
by BPH, prostatitis or prostate cancer, the
levels of PSA in the blood can go up
19. New Treatments
• Abiraterone, the wonder drug that had
amazing trial results two years ago
• It shrunk tumours in 80% of men whose
cancer had spread throughout their
body
• The reovirus, injected into patients,
found it killed off cancer cells but
spared normal tissue
21. What support is available?
The Prostate Cancer Charity provide support and information to
partners, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends of men
affected by prostate cancer.
As well as offering support either by telephone or via e-mail, they also
signpost callers to support groups and other sources of valuable
information.
Telephone Support Helpline: 0800 074 8383
Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm / Wednesday 7pm - 9pm
Website: www.prostate-cancer.org.uk
Email: info@prostate-cancer.org.uk
22. Real Man Campaign
M&S & the Prostate
Cancer Charity join
forces every year to
promote prostate
cancer awareness with
their blue, ‘Real Man’
pin badge
You might think that this is an unusual subject for a woman to talk about, and I hope this doesn’t embarrass you chaps, but the Prostate Cancer Society was a client at my last place of work.
We carried out a lot of research on the effectiveness of the key messages that the PCC was trying to disseminate during their awareness campaigns and fundraising activities.
It’s been in the press a lot recently, with Andrew Lloyd Webber having undergone surgery for prostate cancer. This always happens when something like this happens to someone who’s a high profile media personality.
Not to be confused with ‘prostrate’, which is probably something you get from lying down too much!
Like other cancers, prostate cancer develops when cells in the prostate gland start to grow in an uncontrolled way.
In most cases it’s a slow growing cancer that men won’t be aware of throughout their lifetime as it may never cause any symptoms or problems.
Some men will have a fast growing cancer that needs treatment to prevent or delay it spreading outside the prostate gland.
Here are some of the statistics about prostate cancer – as you can see, significant numbers of men are diagnosed, and even die, each year in the UK.
Does anyone know how these stats compare with, say, the stats for breast cancer?
Breast cancer used to be the most common cancer but this changed in 1998.
You may be surprised to see that the numbers are not massively different from those for breast cancer, yet breast cancer gets proportionately more exposure…possibly because it’s more obvious than prostate cancer.
Does anyone know which is the first? (Lung Cancer)
Did everyone here know that men can also get breast cancer?
The slide I’m about to show depicts an anatomically correct illustration of where the prostate is in the body – if you think this might offend you please look away now!
What’s the prostate gland for?
Only men have a prostate gland – this person appears to have only one testicle, too!
The prostate is usually the shape and size of a walnut (though I have heard it described as a small plum!)
It lies underneath the bladder and surrounds the tube (or urethra) that men pass urine and semen through.
The prostate gland’s main job is making most of the fluid that carries sperm (i.e. semen).
The prostate gland can get bigger with age and may press on the urethra, causing problems with passing urine.
You can see from its position why it may inhibit urine flow, or cause problems that affect the bladder.
So what are the main types of prostate problem?
I’m not going to go into detail here about BPH or prostatitis – it’s just to make you aware that any problems with your bits are not necessarily serious or life-threatening.
There are two types of prostate cancer, aggressive and non-aggressive, which are often called 'tiger' and 'pussycat‘ respectively.
Men with pussycat cancer often lead a healthy life, and the majority of men with low-grade, early prostate cancer (which means that cancer cells have been found only in the prostate gland) live a long time after their diagnosis. Even without treatment, many of these men will not die of prostate cancer but will probably live with it until they eventually die of some other, unrelated illness!
The tiger variety, however, which involves a third of cases, has much bigger ‘claws’ – and is usually fatal within 18 months. Grim statistics…
On a more positive note, British researchers have made a dramatic breakthrough against a lethal form of prostate cancer.
Trials of a new pill - abiraterone - have shown that it can shrink tumours in up to 80% of cases, which ends the need for damaging chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Experts hailed it as potentially the biggest advance in decades in the field of prostate cancer, capable of saving many thousands of lives.
So, what are the most common symptoms?
Read through these on slide…
You may also experience…Less Common Symptoms, which are…
Pain when passing urine
Pain when ejaculating
Pain in the testicles
Pain in the lower back
Blood in the urine
Or if you have any family members or friends who are worried, urge them to visit their doctor
So what are the risk factors for prostate cancer?
In fact, the majority of those diagnosed are over 60. More than 70% are over 65.
Poor eating habits or lack of exercise may also contribute to the risk.
There’s been a lack of evidence about the protective effects of exercise against prostate cancer until now, but some published recently as a result of research carried out in Sweden suggests that men who have desk jobs are more likely to develop prostate cancer (almost a 30% higher chance of being diagnosed that men with very active jobs).
I’ve also just read of a key prostate cancer gene that’s been identified by researchers in North Carolina, raising hopes of a blood test that could reveal whether or not a man has the flawed DNA that makes him 25% more likely than other men to develop the most dangerous form of the cancer.
No-one knows how to prevent prostate cancer, but diet and a healthy lifestyle may be important in protecting against the disease
Why should I improve my diet?
Show first and second points
For a healthy diet, base your meals on starchy foods like potatoes, rice and pasta.
Try wholegrain options such as wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta and wholegrain breakfast cereals. These are high in fibre and also help you to feel full for longer
Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day
Include some protein, like fish, skinless chicken and pulses
Eat a low-fat diet
Cut down on sugar. The healthy daily limit is 70 grams or 17 teaspoons. This includes sugar hidden in soft drinks and processed foods such as cakes and biscuits
Cut down on salt – eat less than 1¼ teaspoons each day and look out for hidden salt in processed foods. Try using herbs and spices to add flavour when cooking
Drink 6 - 8 glasses of water each day
Avoid sugary or fizzy drinks
Here’s a small illustration of key food groups.
New anecdotal evidence suggests that broccoli and tomatoes are particularly beneficial. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is the pigment that gives tomatoes their red colour.
In one study, for instance, levels of a protein linked to the growth of the cancer fell by 1/5th in men who had pasta with tomato sauce daily for 5 weeks. They put on 3 stone, but they were healthy!!
A rainbow of colours
Different fruit and vegetables contain different vitamins and minerals.
Try to include all of the different colours in your weekly diet.
Eating a wide range of coloured fruit and vegetables is a good way of increasing your intake of these vitamins and minerals. The darker the berry, the more nutrients it contains.
I read a couple of weeks ago about a new cookbook that’s designed to keep prostate cancer at bay, which has been compiled by experts. Unsurprisingly, it’s called The Prostate Care Cookbook and was written by dieticians and nutritionists from Surrey University. It costs £12.99 and is available from amazon.co.uk and has very good reviews.
With Christmas coming up it might make a great Christmas present!
Maintain an active lifestyle
Try to include 30 minutes of exercise as part of your daily routine.
All exercise protects against some cancers and other diseases.
Recent research suggests that a high level of physical activity may help to reduce your risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
If you notice any of the symptoms I’ve described, or you think you might have a prostate problem, I’d urge you to visit your GP.
The same goes for your friends or family – you may not have symptoms, but you may know someone who does, or who’s mentioned a problem in passing (no pun intended).
PSA Test
I’m only going to talk a little about the PSA test (try saying that after a few beers!) as it is currently the main test available.
It’s an imperfect test, however, in that raised PSA levels don’t necessarily indicate the presence of prostate cancer, but may indicate an underlying prostate problem, so a raised level isn’t necessarily cause for concern.
Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)
I’m not going to say much about the DRE test (no points for guessing what the acronym stands for!) as you chaps come over all faint when it’s mentioned! But it is a simple test which can be done at the GP’s surgery. It’s usually done after the PSA test because it can affect your PSA level.
Urine flow test
This test involves weeing into a machine that measures the speed and force of your urine flow. If you’re weeing slowly, it may mean that your prostate is pressing on the urethra.
Ultrasound scan
An ultrasound scan can show whether your bladder is emptying properly. You may have the scan after the urine flow test.
I also read recently of a new test being developed in Chicago to warn of prostate cancer recurrence. It uses tiny gold particles to search for signs that the disease has returned after surgery and is 100’s of times more sensitive than other tests currently available. It’s capable of picking up much smaller amounts of PSA – in fact it picks up levels 300 times lower!
Brings a whole new meaning to the idiom “Goldenballs”!
Before you decide whether to have the PSA test you might like to read about its pros and cons.
You can obtain a booklet called ‘PSA and beyond: a guide for men concerned about prostate cancer’ from the Prostate Cancer Charity – details of this organisation to follow.
You can also have a blood test to check that your kidneys are working properly. This is because some undiagnosed prostate problems can affect your kidneys.
Abiraterone has been around for a while now
It was discovered by scientists funded by Cancer Research UK
It works by blocking testosterone
The once-a-day drug also eased pain in many patients
Viruses that target cancer cells are known as ‘oncolytic’
Reovirus – or the ‘respiratory, enteric, orphan virus’ – is a widespread virus but causes no significant illness in humans.
A Canadian study referred to their results on 6 volunteer patients with early-stage prostate cancer, where a single injection of the virus was given directly into their tumours, guided by ultrasound.
When the patients had their prostate glands removed as part of their normal treatment, analysis of the tissue showed the death of cancer cells in the treated tumours
So the ‘tame’ virus killed off cancer cells but normal tissue was unaffected
Yes, dynamite!
British scientist have developed a skin patch containing minute doses of nitroglycerine
Of course, its uses in minute quantities have been very successful for years as a remedy for angina because it can dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow
Now they’ve discovered that it appears to stop some tumours in their tracks
The latest trial involved 24 men who wore the patch 24 hours a day for two years, and results showed that within 6 months, PSA levels had stabilised in all but 5 of the volunteers. After a year, most were either still stable or even declining.
I find it amazing how they establish these tenuous links to treatment – do they have discussions as to what they might use next in the patch I wonder…hmmm…let’s try a Thai green curry patch!!!
Other tests include a cocktail of tomato and soy juice, as it’s hoped the drink may slow the growth of cancer cells, as both have been shown to reduce the risk of the disease, or even slow its progression.
The PCC have the UK’s only dedicated telephone helpline for prostate cancer that’s confidential and is staffed by specialist nurses.
It’s independent of the NHS, and gives reliable, up-to-date, and above all specialist support and information.
Callers can express their feelings, whether it’s anger at diagnosis, or relief that someone is there to listen.
Modelled here by the presenter Andi Peters – and me – these are on sale for £1 during Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, which is usually in March, and they raise around £100,000 each year.
The PCC also commission research into the disease and fund support for those suffering with prostate cancer (and their families), as well as continuing to raise awareness of the disease.
If anyone would like any further information, please contact me if you’d like me to send you further detail about diet, specific food groups etc
