Sign In / Register
Update: After this article was published it was announced that the Blue September event that was to be held in Wellsford on November 12 has been cancelled due to Covid-19.
Wellsford’s Dr Neil Anderson is doing his best to normalise everyday men’s health topics like getting tested for prostate cancer.
On Friday, November 12, he will be the guest speaker at a Blue September event held at the Wellsford Community Centre. Blue September is the Prostrate Cancer Foundation’s annual awareness and fundraising campaign.
Dr Anderson says part of the reason that men are reluctant to visit the doctor and get tested for prostate cancer is the misconception that it necessarily means they will have to have a digital rectal exam.
Most of the time a “prostate specific antigen” (PSA) blood test is fine, although a digital rectal exam is more precise. The blood test can also give a false positive if a man has increased levels of PSA from sexual activity or even riding a bike.
He recommends that men over the age of 50 should get a PSA test once a year. However, if there is a family history with prostate cancer, it is recommended to start from age 40.
Genetic predisposition significantly increases the risk of prostate cancer – it is about 65 per cent more likely if an immediate relative has had it.
Possible symptoms of prostate cancer include bone pain, blood in the urine or irregularity in urination, including frequent or infrequent urination, or difficulty urinating.
Men with prostate cancer can also be asymptomatic, which is why it is important to get regularly tested.
“If regular screening picks up a potentially aggressive cancer while it is asymptomatic, it is lifesaving,” Dr Anderson says.
A diagnosis of prostate cancer does not always mean that radiotherapy must begin. Dr Anderson says that sometimes a “watchful waiting” approach is taken and some types of prostate cancer are lower risk and just need to be monitored.
In fact, after age 75 men are more likely to “die with” prostate cancer than die because of it. A significant number of men are only found to have prostate cancer after they have died of another cause.
In terms of general health, Dr Anderson encourages all men to get an annual check-up from the doctor and discuss any concerns they might have.
“A lot usually comes up from that conversation,” he says.
He says a lot of Kiwi men work outdoors which can predispose them to skin cancer, especially on their backs.
Another common point is men’s sexual concerns. Dr Anderson says he tries to normalise the discussion around treating erectile tissue issues as much as possible, for example, referring to medication as “performance enhancers”.
However, he says much of the time, medication is not needed or may just function as a confidence booster that allows the body’s natural processes to happen. Often the concern about the problem is in fact the root of the problem.
Dr Anderson questions his patients and if he finds that men are able to initially get an erection but then lose it, the problem is likely psychological, not physiological.
“Especially if a man experiences morning erections, difficulty maintaining one is more likely to be related to stress or performance anxiety,” he says.
What men need to know
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, and the third most common cause of cancer-related death – 650 men die each year in New Zealand.
One in eight men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. Around 3,500 men are diagnosed each year in New Zealand.
Between 10 and 20 per cent of men with prostate cancer advance to a metastatic “aggressive” state within three to five years.
Wellsford Plus is holding a Blue Breakfast in support of men living with prostate cancer at the Wellsford Community Centre on November 12 from 7am to 9am. Entry to the buffet breakfast is a monetary note donation.
Tickets are available from Hammer Hardware in Wellsford or from events.wfdplus@gmail.com.
