Follow the King’s lead and get prostate checked – Mug
Male cancer charity Male Uprising Guernsey wants local men to take encouragement from King Charles and get checked out if they have any prostate health concerns.
The King is set to attend hospital next week for treatment on an enlarged prostate, with Buckingham Palace saying his condition is benign.
Urologist Dr Owen Cole, who is also a member of Mug’s council, said that an enlarged prostate in older men was common.
He hoped that news of the King’s treatment would encourage more men to get themselves checked.
‘Clearly it’s something that’s been bothering the King, and when I say bother I mean interfering in daily life.
‘If there are men who are being bothered by their prostate then they should make appointment and get checked out.’
Dr Cole said that about 50% of men over 50 and 80% of men over 70 would go on to have issues with their prostate.
‘As men get older the turnover of cells in their body when the cells die slows, which is why it tends to be older men who develop enlarged prostates,’ he said.
‘As the average age of men increases and the population gets older, we will see more cases – most are non-cancerous.’
Dr Cole said that the symptoms of an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer were similar, and could include more frequent urination, having an unusually weak flow of urine, and a difficulty emptying your bladder.
‘Often no symptoms will present themselves, so we will do a blood test which checks for the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in your blood, and if it’s abnormal we will then do a contrast MRI scan.
‘It’s more likely to just be an enlargement of the prostate rather than cancer but we would still encourage men to come forward as they often assume any discomfort is just natural deterioration with age. It isn’t necessarily and there is a lot we can do about it.’
He added that a check-up with a doctor involved filling out a form detailing urination and drinking habits, a prostate exam, a blood test and a flow rate test, which measures the strength of flow of urine.
Dr Cole recommended that all men over the age of 50 be checked at least once, with those men who come from families with a history of cancer – particularly prostate cancer and breast cancer – being checked at least once a year.
‘Once you get over 50 you’re often checked for other things like your heart health and signs of a stroke, getting checked for prostate cancer just requires one extra blood test.’
