TODAY is World Cancer Day and if men pick up prostate cancer early by being screened and having a PSA test, they have a 95% chance of being cured.
What was meant to be a standard doctor’s appointment to check the cause of a painful finger joint ended up changing the course of David Lucas’ life forever. His doctor decided to do a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test in addition to a blood test to check for signs of gout.
“I had no symptoms at all. The possibility of having prostate cancer never even crossed my mind. When the results came back, my test showed elevated levels of the Prostate-Specific Antigen, which led to an appointment with a urologist who then performed a biopsy.
“My prostate cancer was confirmed two weeks later,” says Lucas, who is an ambassador for the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), spokesperson for the Daredevil campaign and passionate advocate of early testing.
The Daredevil Run, sponsored by Hollard, is a fun annual event that sees thousands of men running a 5km fun run in purple speedos. The run raises awareness of prostate and testicular cancer and uses the power of collective action to inspire positive change.
As a prostate cancer survivor, Lucas hopes that by speaking about his own experience, he can motivate men to get themselves screened regularly.
“The bottom line is that early detection saves lives,” he says.
Statistics speak for themselves
Professor Shingai Mutambirwa, Head of Department of Urology at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) in Pretoria and a founding member of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa (PCF) says “The problem with prostate cancer is that it sits on the outside of the prostate, so it takes a long time before you get any symptoms from it. Only if you pick it up early with PSA testing and a digital rectal examination, will we be able to treat it and cure it.”
“An important thing to remember is that if you are black, you have a five times increased risk of developing prostate cancer. And if you’re not black, but you have first degree relatives such as siblings, parents or children with breast cancer or prostate cancer, you are also at about a five times increased risk of developing prostate cancer, and it may be more aggressive,” he says.
“Another important fact is that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second most common cause of male death from cancer,” Prof. Mutambirwa explains.
He says that a PSA blood test at your health care practitioner can take a couple of seconds and can potentially save your life.
All men over the age of 45 need to be screened annually.
This World Cancer Day, don’t let the pandemic prevent you from scheduling your annual PSA test.
Issued on behalf of Hollard Daredevil Run by Creative Space Media
