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Letter to Branches
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150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1RX Tel: 020 8971 7200 Fax: 020 8971 7300
General Secretary: Billy Hayes (www.billyhayes.co.uk)
No. 166 /10
Ref P3
Date: 25 February 2010
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues
Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign - Prostate Cancer Month - March 2010
Further to LTB 152/10 the Health, Safety & Environment Department is issuing further
information to Branches, Health and Safety Representatives, Regional Health and Safety
Forums and Health and Safety Co-Ords to encourage active participation and support for
Prostate Cancer Month which will be March 2010. We are urging Representatives to run
local awareness campaigns to raise awareness of Prostate cancer and make contacts
with various Cancer Charities - 'Prostrate Cancer Charity', 'Orchid (Male Cancer Charity)',
Cancer Research UK etc.
Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed male cancer in the UK, accounting
for almost a quarter of male cancers. Each year, nearly 35,000 men are diagnosed and
more than 10,000 die from the disease.
The prostate gland is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It’s about the
size of a walnut, producing the liquid that nourishes, protects and carries sperm on
ejaculation. It tends to increase in size with age, called benign prostatic hypertrophy,
causing symptoms in some men like urinary frequency
If prostate cancer is found early, while still confined to the gland itself, chances
of survival are excellent.
Symptoms
Often prostate cancer doesn't have any symptoms, but when they do occur they may
include:
 Urinating frequently
 Difficult or painful urination or ejaculation
 Delay or hesitancy before urinating
 A feeling that the bladder has not completely emptied
 Blood in urine or semen
 Disturbed sleep because of the need to urinate
In advanced prostate cancer, the following symptoms may occur:
 Weight loss
 Bone pain
 Pain in the loins, pelvis or lower back
 Blood in the urine
It's important to be aware that there are a number of other, non-cancerous medical
conditions that may also cause these symptoms, for example infection or benign
prostate enlargement, but should always be investigated.
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Diagnosis - What to look out for
Because the prostate gland is situated at the outlet of the bladder and in front of the
bowel, any tumour, whether benign or malignant, can affect their function.
Common symptoms include:



Most men with early prostate cancer are diagnosed because they have
problems with bladder habits.
Slowing of the urinary stream and/or urinating more frequently than usual, often
at night, are the most common symptoms.
Blood in the urine is rare, but can lead to a misdiagnosis, as it is more usual in
bladder cancer.
There are several methods to check for the presence of prostate cancer. The simplest is
the digital rectal examination, in which a gloved finger is inserted into the rectum,
through which an enlarged prostate can be felt. Blood tests are the next step - prostate
cancers cause the levels of certain chemicals in the blood to rise. More sophisticated
tests include the use of ultrasound scans, and x-rays.
Causes and risk factors
The causes of prostate cancer aren’t yet understood. Cases are rare in men aged under
50, however, there are certain things which place some men at higher risk of developing
the disease than others:
Being overweight or obese
 Having a father or brother with prostate cancer
 Being of African-Caribbean or African-American descent and in western countries
 There is some suggestion that a fat-rich diet may contribute to prostate cancer,
but this is not proven
 Studies linking the cancer to vasectomy, an operation to remove a man's fertility,
are contradictory
Treatment and recovery
If diagnosed early, treatment can be quite successful. Therefore, it's important to be
aware of the symptoms and to see a GP as early as possible. Currently in the UK there
are no routine screening programmes for prostate cancer.
The key decision in prostate cancer is whether or not to treat at all. In many older men,
the cancer progresses so slowly that surgery and other treatments may cause more
harm than good. However, for those whose cancer is more aggressive, either already
spreading or liable to spread beyond the prostate, surgery is usually the first option.
A specialist may then arrange a biopsy of the prostate. This should indicate whether or
not prostate cancer is present and whether or not it's aggressive. Other tests, such as xrays or scans may be necessary, assessing the extent of the cancer. These results will
also influence the types of treatment available.
A prostatectomy means that the prostate gland is removed, normally along with small
parts of the lymphatic system near the gland. Unfortunately, the operation often causes
nerve damage which can make it sometimes impossible for men to achieve an erection
afterwards, or maintain complete control over urination. However, modern ‘nervesparing’ surgical techniques - combined with drugs such as Viagra - mean that the
effects on both sexual function and quality of life can be minimised.
The main advances in prostate cancer treatment are being made in surgery and
radiotherapy.
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Surgeons are learning how to remove the prostate without causing the problematic
nerve damage which was inevitable in the past. And radiotherapy technology advances
mean that far higher doses can be targeted more precisely on the prostate, killing more
cancer cells with fewer treatments. Recent advances include the use of a technique
called brachytherapy.
There are two major methods of prostate brachytherapy, permanent seed implantation
and high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy. Permanent seed implants involve
injecting approximately 100 radioactive seeds into the prostate gland. They give off their
cancer-killing radiation at a low dose rate over several weeks or months, and the seeds
remain in the prostate gland permanently.
HDR temporary brachytherapy instead involves placing very tiny plastic catheters into
the prostate gland, and then giving a series of radiation treatments through these
catheters.
Another option is High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound, which uses sound waves to ‘melt’
away the cancer.
A GP will perform a digital rectal examination (DRE) and arrange for any blood tests (a
prostate specific antigen or PSA test). If this is elevated there is a possibility it may have
been caused by prostate cancer. Patients are then referred to a specialist (urologist) for
further investigations.
If hormone therapy is no longer effective, there are a number of treatments to control
the cancer and improve quality of life, which individuals can discuss with your specialist.
There are a number of clinical trials available for people with prostate cancer which
individuals can discuss with their specialist for suitability.
MEN ARE LOSING OUT IN THE CANCER AWARENESS BATTLE
Research from male cancer charity Orchid reveals UK men know more about breast,
Cervical and other women's cancers than those which affect only men
1 in 3 men say they're most knowledgeable about breast cancer compared to 1 in 10
men who are familiar with the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer
If in doubt - get it checked out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yours Sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
[Fighting prostate cancer on every front - "Don't Let Prostrate Cancer Hide"
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month - March 2010]
NOTE: All content within BBC Health is provided for general information only, and should
not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other
health care professional.
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