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We are asking the men of Ireland to once again Stand Up for Your Prostate and 'Pay Attention to Your Pee' so they can recognise any signs or symptoms of prostate cancer and take action! We are also strongly reminding them that there may not be any symptoms so this is why it’s important to get their PSA checked once they reach the age of 50 or at 45 if they have a family history of prostate or breast cancer. A simple blood test that takes less than 5 minutes and can assess the risk of prostate cancer.
1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. In Ireland, 3,980 men will be diagnosed each year and rates of prostate cancer are higher in black men with a rate of 1 in 4 being diagnosed in their lifetime. However, when detected early, prostate cancer has very promising five-year survival rates of 93%. But like many other forms of cancer, these survival rates are all dependent on when the cancer is detected. Early detection saves lives, provide an opportunity for treatment choice overall and very importantly, improves survival outcomes.
The Marie Keating Foundation is encouraging men to take action and be more proactive when it comes to their prostate health. Anyone born with a prostate should get to know the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, but also be very aware that there may not be any symptoms and to seek information about a PSA blood test once they turn 50, or 40-45 if they have a family history of prostate cancer, or breast cancer. It is a simple blood test that takes less than 5 minutes.
Men are two and a half times more likely to get prostate cancer if their father or brother had it. Inherited genes especially BRCA 2, being overweight or obese can also be risk factors to be aware of.
Early prostate cancer can often present without any obvious symptoms. However, it’s time to ‘Pay Attention to Your Pee’ and if you have any of the symptoms listed below, make an appointment with your doctor.
- Dysuria – difficulty and pain passing urine.
- Urgency- difficult to postpone passing urine.
- Frequency- going to the toilet more frequently than before.
- Nocturia- getting up more than twice a night to pass urine.
- Hesitancy- taking time to get going when passing urine.
- Flow- has become weak or intermittent.
- Incomplete emptying – feeling that the bladder has not emptied.
- Blood-present in the urine.
Less common symptoms include:
• Trouble having or keeping an erection.
• Lower back pain or pain in hips or upper thighs.
It is important to note that the prostate enlarges with age. It wraps around the urethra and this enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia – BPH) can cause bladder outlet obstruction which can lead to the above symptoms. BPH is more common than prostate cancer but the conditions may exist together. BPH is not cancerous but can be troublesome.
Everyone can take a Stand this September. You either have a prostate or know someone who does. Support our campaign by wearing the Marie Keating Foundation 'Stand Up for Your Prostate' pin during Blue September, Movember or at any other time of the year.
Your donations could help us reach and support more men at risk, or impacted by cancer.
Ambassadors’ Stories
A PSA or prostate-specific antigen test is a simple blood test that monitors possible changes in your prostate which may need further investigations and follow up. By having regular PSA levels checked as instructed by your GP or Urologist, it can help to detect prostate problems or cancer in its earliest stages, even if you are experiencing no symptoms.
“All men, but especially those whose father, brother or grandfather had prostate cancer, need to engage in conversations earlier because we know that early cancer detection from the age of 40- 45 years of age onwards can save lives. A simple prostate blood test, the PSA, is the best way to assess your risk. Nine out of 10 men in Ireland diagnosed with prostate cancer in Ireland over the last 5 years, many with significant cancers, had no symptoms whatsoever (IPCOR data). Only the PSA test helped to identify their disease early. Do not wait for symptoms to develop. Urinary symptoms usually have nothing to do with prostate cancer. Know your number - know your PSA. The national diagnostic guidelines from the NCCP are a fantastic resource.”
Mr. David Galvin, Urology Consultant at St. Vincent’s Hospital Group and the Mater Hospital
“Men typically get a bad reputation for not speaking about their health, but when resources and supports are put in place, we see that this is not the case and men love to talk and learn from each other. Our Stand Up for Your Prostate campaign and the pin itself is designed to give men an opening to speak about their health with others, and this can be exactly what some men need, a little bit of encouragement to go to their GP. Our message this year is a simple one, if you are 50, ask your GP to consider checking your PSA levels. If you are between 40-45 with a family history of prostate or breast cancer, have that conversation. It could save your life.”
Helen Forristal, Urology Nurse Specialist and Director of Nursing Services at the Marie Keating Foundation
Further Information
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