There are several treatment options for prostate cancer, however, the right one for you will be dependent on your circumstances. Many men will not require any treatment whatsoever. When treatment is required, the intention is to control or cure prostate cancer so that it doesn’t impact life expectancy or interfere with daily life. If prostate cancer has spread beyond the prostate, then treatment will aim to delay symptoms and prolong life.
 
What treatment is right for you? This is something you will decide with your medical team. This will depend on the grade and size of prostate cancer, as well as your general health, and whether prostate cancer has spread beyond your prostate. The final decision will lie with you, but your medical team will recommend what they believe to be the right course of action for you.
 
The doctors will use scans, exams, and biopsy results to identify the grade and stage of your cancer. The stage describes the size and spread of prostate cancer, while the grade relates to the appearance of cancer cells. The treatment options are as follows:

• Waiting – this approach keeps an eye on prostate cancer and treatment can begin if there are symptoms or growth.

 

• Surveillance – this tact avoids treatment that may be unnecessary, but still offers time to treat those who will need it. This will require regular tests, scans, and biopsies to ensure progression is caught immediately.

 

• Radical Prostatectomy – when prostate cancer has not spread beyond the prostate, it’s possible to eradicate it from the body by removing the prostate gland.

 

• Radiotherapy – the purpose of radiation is to kill cancer cells with radiation. This can slow the growth of a cancer that has spread.

 

• Hormone Therapy – this therapy is combined with radiotherapy to slow growth, relieve symptoms, and prevent prostate cancerous cells from returning.

 

• Chemotherapy – this is used for more advanced cases where prostate cancer has spread beyond the prostate.

The prostate is a small gland found located between the penis and bladder. When abnormal cells develop this is when cancer occurs. It’s the prostate’s job to secrete the fluid that protects your sperm. When abnormal cells develop they can multiply uncontrolled and spread beyond the prostate. Generally, cancer of the prostate is slow-growing. The majority of patients with low-grade cancer of the prostate are symptom-free for many years. It’s high-grade cases of prostate cancer that can be lethal, spreading quickly.
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There has been a dramatic drop in deaths from prostate cancer and this is down to the improvements in treatment and early detection. The key is early detection, which means you should have periodic checks of the prostate. The most common check involves a digital rectal exam. This is where the doctor will manually check the prostate gland to check the size, shape, and texture.

Symptoms
There are symptoms of prostate cancer to look out for. Difficulty urinating is one, as well as pain or burning while urinating. Pain in the pelvis or back. Trouble stopping or starting or urinating more frequently during the night. A lack of bladder control, a decrease in the urine stream’s velocity or flow, as well as blood in the urine or semen.

Risk & Diagnosis
You are at higher risk if there is a family history of prostate cancer, as well as ovarian or breast cancers (on the maternal side of the family). Your risk is even higher if that family link is father, brother or son. Additionally, once you are over 50 years of age you should get tested periodically. You can also have your blood tested to check prostate-specific antigen levels. However, the diagnosis of prostate cancer can only be given following biopsy confirmation. The blood test combined with the digital rectal exam offers us the best chance for early detection of prostate cancer. 

​Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) is a broad based community organisation and the peak national body for prostate cancer in Australia.

They are dedicated to reducing the impact of prostate cancer on Australian men, their partners and families, recognising the diversity of the Australian community.

PCFA do this by:

• Promoting and funding world leading, innovative research into prostate cancer
• Implementing awareness and advocacy campaigns and education programs for the Australian Community, health professionals and Government
• Supporting men and their families affected by prostate cancer through evidence-based information and resources, support groups and Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses.

PCFA relies on the generosity of individuals, the community and partnerships to carry out our essential work.
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PCFA's five values are:

• Integrity
• Optimism
• Compassion
• Respect
• Commitment
  
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Source: https://www.prostate.org.au/about-us/vision-mission-and-values/

The Mackay Prostate Cancer Support Group will be presenting 2 iPads to Icon Cancer Centre on Thursday 11th July at 6.30pm and we ask as many members to come along to the meeting and join us on this occasion.

Brock Ditton from Icon is organising for a representative from the Daily Mercury to attend as we are taking this opportunity to promote the Support Group but more importantly raise awareness of Prostate Cancer.

Dr Bandi, John & I will also attend, and we hope to see as many of you there as possible.
This donation of iPads to the Icon Cancer centre is made possible by the generous donation to our Support Group by ESA International Alpha Rho - Mackay Branch.

The iPads will be provided for patients to use whilst undergoing therapy at the Centre. As you may be aware not everyone has access to iPhones or iPads. These iPads will provide them with the ability to either watch a movie, TV series, read, playing card games or simply keeping up with what is happening around them.

Both iPads will be engraved as being donated by the “Mackay Prostate Cancer Support Group” and supplied with screen protector and case.

We have recommenced our push for a Prostate Cancer Nurse for Mackay now that the Federal election is over, and our appointed Ministers are back at running the Country!

I will be again contacting both George Christensen and Julie-Anne Gilbert to increase their efforts of support and assist us with obtaining funding.

If anyone has ideas or suggestions on how we can progress our push for the Prostate Cancer Nurse or our Support Group please contact wither Josh, John or myself as we will be happy to hear from you.
If any member would like to have articles included or circulated to other members, please advise me and I will circulate them for you

Also, if you are seeking information or just to catch up on news relating to Prostate Cancer, the PCFA Online Community web site is a great source of information and online posts and blogs.
If you know of anyone who wishes to receive the newsletter then please ask them to contact me via email also and I can add them to the email list.