In Ireland, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, after skin cancer. Every year, more than 4,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in this country. This means that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. The number of men getting prostate cancer in Ireland is rising- between 1995 and 2007, the number of new cases more than doubled. Although there are many men with this disease, most men do not die from it.
A risk factor is anything that can increase your chance of developing cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some factors can lower your risk of cancer and are known as protection factors.
It is not known exactly what causes prostate cancer. However, research shows that some factors may increase your risk, though scientists are still working to establish why there is a link between these factors and prostate cancer risk.
The younger the age at diagnosis, the more likely it is that an inherited faulty gene is the cause. Remember that for there to be a faulty gene at work, the affected relatives have to come from the same side of your family (your mother’s side or your father’s side).
We do not know the exact cause of prostate cancer, so at this time it isn’t possible to prevent most cases of the disease. Many risk factors such as age, race, and family history can’t be controlled. However, based on what we do know, there are some things you can do that might lower your risk of prostate cancer.
Information about prostate cancer in Ireland, the signs and symptoms of the disease, the PSA blood test and prostate cancer treatment.
Find out about what the prostate is, what it does and what prostate cancer is.
Read about possible symptoms of prostate cancer and when to see your doctor.
This page tells you about the causes of prostate cancer and factors that can affect your risk of developing prostate cancer.
Find out more about the PSA blood test, how it works, what it does, its risks and benefits, and why there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer.
Find out more about the PSA blood test, how it works, what it does, its risks and benefits, and why there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may need further tests to see if the cancer has spread. This page tells you about some of these tests.
The stage of a cancer tells you how big it is and how far it’s spread. It helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.
Your treatment depends on where your cancer is, how big it is, whether it has spread anywhere else in your body and your general health. This page explains more.
Getting practical and emotional support can help you cope with a diagnosis of cancer, life during treatment and life after cancer.
Find out how prostate cancer and treatment can affect your relationship with your partner.
After treatment for prostate cancer you may have problems passing urine. These effects last for a few weeks for most people.
Men that test positive for the BRCA gene can be at a higher risk for developing prostate cancer.
Read the stories of 15 Irish men who have survived prostate cancer, including Tony Ward, Sean Boylan and Michael Murphy.
For the third installment of the Marie Keating Foundation Talks Cancer podcast, we will be #TalkingProstateCancer. Over the next five episodes with host Director of Nursing with The Marie Keating Foundation, Helen Forristal, the “Talking Prostate Cancer” series explores the facts around prostate cancer.
Highlighting the signs and symptoms, discussing the positive progress that has been made around treatment options & the impact of early detection, we’ll talk to experts in the field of prostate cancer along with hearing some honest and open conversations about what it is like to navigate a prostate cancer journey and the impact it can have on not only the person with a cancer diagnosis but also on their intimate relationships with partners, family, and close friends.
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Here’s a sneak peek at what to expect from this series of The Marie Keating Foundation Talks Cancer!
In the first episode of the series Director of Nursing and Urology Care Co-Ordinator, Helen Forristal and Liz McEvoy Urology Cancer coordinator at Tallaght University Hospital are getting the series off to a strong start exploring the facts, stats, and background to prostate cancer in Ireland.
Along with this insightful overview they answer the most frequent questions asked around prostate cancer like, what are the signs and symptoms, when to go to your GP, Family History and so much more.
In this episode we delve into treatment options for prostate cancer. We are incredibly lucky to have an esteemed line up of guests taking us through a number of treatment options in depth and discussing the necessary considerations when deciding on a treatment pathway.
Director of Nursing Helen Forristal is joined by Mr Richie Power from Beaumont Hospital, Dr Gerard McVey from St Luke’s Hospital and Dr Waseem Darwish from the Mater Hospital.
In this episode we have the privilege of speaking with patient advocate John Wall whom many of you will have heard of. John is a man living with advanced metastatic prostate cancer. In this episode he shares his story with incredible honesty discussing what living with cancer is like for him and how it impacts not only his life but also the lives of his loved ones.
He talks about his journey, treatments, side effects along with his overall emotions, wellbeing, and the impact on his quality of life.
In this episode we have the privilege of speaking with patient advocate Paul Ferris and his wife Geraldine. Former Newcastle United winger Paul Ferris was 51. He had successfully forged a post-football career as a physio, barrister and then a CEO, and his award-winning memoir, The Boy on the Shed, was just about to be published. But then he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
He talks openly about his experience with great humor and profound bravery. Paul’s wife Geraldine joins him for some of this episode to discuss the impact of a prostate cancer diagnosis within a relationship.
We are closing out this series with a powerful conversation about survivorship. What happens after treatment, how does it impact you physically and emotionally? We are privileged to be having a frank and open discussion with Ger O’Boyle around, infertility, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, altered body image manhood and managing relationships. These are a reality for many, yet they sometimes stay silent for some for fear of stigma and judgment.
This is such a powerful and impactful conversation to share and inspire more open conversations amongst others facing these issues.
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