“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” – James 5:14-15

All around the world, the month of October is commemorated (or remembered) as Breast cancer Awareness Month.

During this month, many women remember to wear pink outfits, hats, or shoes, and handbags. But throughout the year women also get the government-ordained annual breast cancer screening; most governments around the world pay for this screening.

This screening has detected breast cancer early, managed, and/or treated. This has saved many women’s lives or allowed them to live longer, put their affairs in order.

The same now needs to be done for men over 55 years old.

Governments must come up with ordinances to get men screened for prostate cancer; they should also set aside funds for the screening to be paid for by the government.

In the past 10 months numerous men have succumbed to prostate cancer, some are battling the gruesome illness. Sadly many men (not being required by government ordinance) get the cancer and are sometimes only diagnosed with the disease at its advanced stage.

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the prostate gland, which is part of the male reproductive system. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “the prostate is a part of the male reproductive system, which includes the male reproductive organ, prostate, seminal vesicles, and testicles.

The prostate is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). It produces fluid that makes up a part of semen….Prostate cancer is a disease in which cells in the prostate grow out of control.”

The CDC furthermore points out in the Prostate Cancer Fact Sheet “…most men with prostate cancer have no symptoms.

However, some men experience the following: frequent urination, trouble urinating, blood in urine or semen, pain in the back, hips, or pelvis. These may be caused by conditions other than prostate cancer,” the CDC therefore advises men to talk to their doctor if they experience any or all of these symptoms. Below are the symptoms of prostate cancer:

Difficulty starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urine, urinating often, especially at night, trouble emptying the bladder completely, pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that doesn’t go away, painful ejaculation.

The CDC states that men that are 65 and older are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Another likelihood is if a member of the family has been diagnosed with the disease.

Lastly the CDC states that compared to other men, black or African American men are more likely to get prostate cancer, get prostate cancer at a younger age, have a more advanced stage of prostate cancer when it’s found, and sadly die from prostate cancer. So, please do not wait until you are 55 if you are a black man or African American man!

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a group of medical experts, recommends, and I strongly agree and recommend all men reading this column “…..that men 55 to 69 years old make individual decisions about prostate cancer screening. Talk to your doctor about your risk and how you feel about the benefits and harms of screening.”

The task force says the goal of the screening is to look for cancers that are likely to spread if untreated. While some of these cells may not grow at all, most grow slowly.

“The most common screening method is the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which measures PSA levels in your blood. PSA is a substance the prostate makes.

Higher PSA levels can show a prostate problem, but it doesn’t always mean you have cancer. If your PSA level is high, your doctor may recommend a biopsy.

This means removing a small piece of tissue from your prostate to examine under a microscope for cancer cells,” the task force informs on the fact sheet.

According to the Force, the benefits of finding prostate cancer that has a high risk of spreading, may lower the chance of death from prostate cancer in some men.

The force warns however, that there is harm in having an abnormal PSA test result when there is no prostate cancer, which could lead to unnecessary tests, like a biopsy. And regrettably “prostate biopsy can cause pain, infection, and blood in the semen or ejaculate.

It states that men who would not have had symptoms or died from prostate cancer can have complications from treatment but have no benefit from it.”

Once diagnosed with prostate cancer, the treatment that may not grow, your doctor may suggest monitoring it over time instead of immediate treatment; this is called active surveillance or watchful waiting, including regular check-ups.

Men whose prostate grows or is at an advanced stage, who may need treatment, modern medical science has the following options that include the following:

Surgery to remove the prostate, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other treatments.
Such treatments have side effects such as urinary incontinence (accidental leakage of urine), difficulty having sex, and bowel problems.

Men between the ages of 40 and 65 should have annual prostate cancer screening.

As far as possible, governments around the world must make such screening available to all men.

The Maravi Post