Cancer

Maintaining a helathy lifestyle helps to reduce the risk of cancer, increases your energy levels and makes you feel better about yourself. A healthy lifestyle also cuts your risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

The Cancer Council Australia lists the four most common male cancers as:

Prostate Cancer

The prostate gland is located directly below the bladder and completely wraps around the urethra (the tube through which urine and semen flow to the opening at the end of the penis).

Prostate cancer does not show symptoms in the early stages as it grows in the outer section of the prostate gland, where it is less likely to put pressure on the urethra and obstruct urine flow.

At later stages, prostate cancer cause the following symptoms, however, it is important to note that these symptoms are not always indicative of cancer:

  • Painful or burning sensation when passing urine
  • Painful ejaculation
  • Blood in the urine or semen
  • Discomfort of pain in the lower back, upper thighs, buttocks area or along one side of the penis
  • Involuntary loss of large amounts of urine
  • Discharge from the urethra.

See: Prostate health

Talking to your doctor

Illnesses involving the prostate can cause anxiety for you and your family. Many men naturally worry urinary symptoms or the notion that anything is wrong ‘down there’ may change the sense of who they are as a man and mean the end of their sex life. For the vast majority of men, this does not happen.

It is important to consult your doctor for any symptoms that are concerning you. If you are over the age of 50 you should discuss issues of prostate disease with your doctor.  Being aware of the associated risks and symptoms can help with early detection.

Family history

A family history of prostate cancer, particularly a father or brother, increases your risk of developing cancer of the prostate gland. The risk is higher if your father or brother were diagnosed at an early age (less than 50 years old).

If more than one relative has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, then your risk is higher again.

Further information

The You and Your Prostate publication is available from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, free of charge.  Contact DVA for your copy.

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Bowel cancer

The bowel is the longest part of the human digestive tract. Bowel cancer is a cancerous growth which usually starts in the lining of the large bowel and can grow there for a long time before spreading to other parts of the body. Early bowel cancer detection, better improves the chance of curing it.

Around 25 per cent or more than 3 000 of the 13 000 instances of bowel cancer diagnosed in Australia every year could be prevented if men and women maintained a healthy body weight, ate a healthy diet and engaged in daily physical activity.

Bowel cancer can be treated with high success rates in its early stages. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

Warning signs

The warning signs of bowel cancer are;

  • bleeding from the anus (back passage) or any sign of blood after a bowel motion
  • an unexplained and persistent change in your normal bowel pattern, such as diarrhoea, constipation, feeling that your bowel does not empty completely, or needing to go to the toilet more than usual
  • recurring pain, cramps or swelling in your lower abdomen, pain in your rectum, or a persistent feeling of fullness
  • general weakness, tiredness, breathlessness.

These warning signs do not necessarily mean cancer, but if you notice any of these symptoms you should see your doctor promptly.

Risk factors

The risk factors for bowel cancer are:

  • ageing – bowel cancer more commonly affects people over the age of 50
  • a family history or personal history of bowel cancer
  • extensive inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s colitis).

Screening for bowel cancer

‘Screening’ involves testing people without any obvious symptoms.

There is evidence that screening for bowel cancer can reduce the risk of death from bowel cancer in people over the age of 50.

The faecal occult blood test

The faecal occult blood test (FOBT) is a simple screening test which is recommended for healthy people over the age of 50, at least every two years. The FOBT has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of death from bowel cancer for people aged over 50.

What is involved in the FOBT?

  • You collect samples from two or three bowel motions at home and return these to your doctor or laboratory in the containers that you are provided with.
  • Your doctor will advise you if some special dietary restrictions are required during the testing period.

The laboratory tests can detect microscopic amounts of blood in faeces that cannot be seen with your own eyes.

What if I have a positive screening test?

A positive result using the FOBT means that blood has been detected in your sample. Blood in a bowel motion is usually caused by something less serious than cancer, however, it may be due to a polyp (growth on the inside of the bowel that could develop into cancer) or a bowel cancer that bleeds.

If blood is found in a bowel motion, further tests will be needed to find out what has caused the bleeding.

Remember that there is a 90 per cent chance of cure if the cancer is found at an early stage and polyps found through the FOBT can be removed before they develop into cancer.

Reduce your risk

  • Maintain a healthy body weight.
  • Be physically active, regularly.
  • If you are over 50, have a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) every two years.
  • Eat a well balanced and varied diet, including lots of vegetables and fruit.
  • Eat foods high in fibre.
  • Eat less processed and red meats.
  • Don’t smoke.

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Skin cancer

Most cancers diagnosed in Australia are skin cancers.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a type of radiation emitted by the sun. Exposure to UV radiation can cause not only sunburn but also lasting skin damage, including premature skin ageing and skin cancer.

Every year more than 1200 Australians die from skin cancer – yet it is almost totally preventable.

You may have experienced skin damage in your childhood, particularly before the ‘SunSmart’ message was promoted. It is important to have any previous damage checked regularly and treated as early as possible.

Skin can burn in as little as 15 minutes in the sun. The longer your unprotected skin is in the sun, the greater your risk of getting cancer. Between 95 and 99 per cent of skin cancers in Australia are caused by exposure to the sun.

There are three main types of skin cancer:

  • Basal cell carcinoma – this is the most common but least dangerous skin cancer.
  • Squamous cell carcinoma – this skin cancer is not as dangerous as a melanoma but if left untreated may spread to other parts of the body.
  • Malignant melanoma – this is the most dangerous skin cancer, as it will spread to other parts of the body if not treated. The good news is that there is a 95 per cent cure rate if it is treated early.

Are you ‘SunSmart’?

It is important to be ‘SunSmart’ and protect yourself from UV radiation.

  • Don’t go out in the sun without protection, particularly between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm when the sun is at its highest.
  • Limit the amount of exposure to the sun.
  • Seek shade wherever possible.
  • Wear a broad brimmed hat which shades your face/neck and cover up with a long sleeved, collared shirt and long pants or skirt.
  • Wear wrap-around style sunglasses that meet Australian standards.
  • Use a broad spectrum SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 30+ sunscreen to cover exposed parts of the body. Apply 20 minutes before going out in the sun – and re-apply every two hours. Don’t use sunscreen just to be able to stay out in the sun longer.
  • Being ‘SunSmart’ also includes a trip to the doctor if you have a lesion that doesn’t heal, a mole that has suddenly appeared or started to bleed, or one that has changed its size, thickness, shape or colour.

See your doctor if you notice a freckle mole or lump that is new or changing in size and shape.

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Lung cancer

The most common cause of lung cancer is the inhalation of tobacco smoke, causing nine out of ten cases. Occupational exposures, such as asbestos, radon, hydrocarbons and metals (e.g. chromium, nickel), are also associated with lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in Australia.

Symptoms

In its early stages, lung cancer usually causes no noticeable symptoms. As it grows it can affect the surrounding lung tissue, causing symptoms specific to the lungs, including:

  • persistent cough
  • shortness of breath
  • wheezing
  • chest pain
  • blood-stained sputum.

General symptoms may include:

  • weight loss
  • lethargy
  • loss of appetite.

Prevention

As 90 per cent of lung cancers are related to tobacco smoking, avoiding or stopping smoking will greatly reduce your risk of developing the disease.

The risk of lung cancer in ex-smokers does decrease with time, however there is still a higher than normal risk even after ten years of not smoking.

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Testicular cancer

Testicular cancer is highly curable when found early. If the cancer is found while it is still only in the testicle (that is, it hasn’t spread to other areas of the body), 95 per cent of men are cured.

Usually only one testicle is affected, but in a few cases, both testicles may be affected.

Testicular cancer is the second most common cancer in young men aged 18 to 39. It may develop in older men but this is uncommon.

Causes

The causes of testicular cancer are unknown. Certain factors may increase a your chance of developing testicular cancer.

  • Undescended testicle – before birth, the testicles develop inside the baby’s abdomen. After birth or within the first year of life, the testicles usually move down (descend) into the scrotum.
  • Family history – men with a father or brother who has had testicular cancer are slightly more at risk.

There is no link between testicular cancer and injury to the testicles, sporting strains, hot baths or wearing tight clothes.

Signs and symptoms

Testicular cancer may cause no symptoms but some may experience these changes:

  • swelling or a lump in the testicle, usually painless
  • feeling of heaviness or unevenness in the scrotum
  • change in the shape or size of the testicle
  • pain or ache in the lower abdomen, the testicle or scrotum
  • enlargement or tenderness of the breast.

These symptoms are also common to several conditions such as cysts or a collection of watery fluid.

Diagnosis

Your initial examination is by a G.P, who will check the testicles and scrotum for lumps or swelling while wearing a rubber glove. If the G.P suspects a lump, you will probably be referred to a urologist for further tests, including an ultrasound and blood tests.

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Male breast cancer

Male breast cancer is a rare disease.

Many people do not realise men as well as women, have breast tissue. In women, the breast is composed mainly of fatty tissue, milk glands and a series of ducts connecting the glands to the nipple. In men only a small amount of breast tissue is present. This is mainly made up of fat, with a few ducts and some connective tissue. However this small amount of breast tissue can occasionally undergo malignant (cancerous) change, producing breast cancer.

The lifetime risk for developing breast cancer is 1 in 1,343 for men (and 1 in 11 for women).

Risk factors

Factors such as age, family history and smoking are contributing factors, but there is no single known cause.

The main risk factor is abnormal enlargement of the breasts (gynaecomastia) due to drug, chemical or hormone treatments, or because of ‘Klinefelter’s syndrome’ (a genetic abnormality that results in excessive breast tissue).

Men’s risk also increases where there is a family history of male breast cancer or a strong family history of breast cancer.

Signs and symptoms

One of the easiest ways to detect breast cancer is by self-examination.

Use the tips of the fingers and, in a circular motion, go all the way around the breast tissue. The important thing to remember is that breast tissue goes all the way into the armpit. If you feel a lump in either the breast or the armpit go to your doctor to have it checked out.

Abnormality in the nipple, such as retraction, crusting or discharge or redness of the skin are also symptoms that may occur.

Diagnosis

A mammogram, often done in conjunction with ultrasound is a useful diagnostic tool. 

Having a mammogram may make you feel uncomfortable, as it is perceived to be a test only for women. It is best if you can feel as relaxed as possible so as to achieve the best diagnostic screen.

Further Information

 Phone the Cancer Council of Australia on 13 11 20