With Stephen Fry announcing that he has had the disease, I thought this was worth publishing again.
Ten years ago a close relative of mine also had the disease – thankfully he seems ok at the moment but that’s because the cancer was caught early.
I am aware that I am at a high risk of also developing prostate cancer as there seems to be a strong hereditary link. I now have a routine Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test – a simple blood test. I also watch for any symptoms.
Campaigns such as Movember – where men are encouraged to fundraise by growing moustaches – are helping to raise awareness of the disease but there’s still a way to go in my view.
If you’re over 50 you should talk to your GP about having a PSA test. You should also talk to your doctor if you’re are 45 years old and are black or there is a family history of the disease.
The PSA is not 100% reliable so you should also watch out for:
Burning or pain during urination
Difficulty urinating, or trouble starting and stopping while urinating
More frequent urges to urinate at night
Loss of bladder control
Decreased flow or velocity of urine stream
Blood in urine (hematuria)
Through my own work with clients and contacts in the healthcare profession, I have learnt that we really need to put ourselves first through a balanced diet, relaxation, exercise – I run regularly – and not to bury our heads in the sand when it comes to our health. Please get tested.
