We are hearing so much more about prostate cancer with many of us either knowing someone with it or knowing someone that knows someone else that has been diagnosed with this condition.

You will have also seen in the news many celebrities, stars and TV personalities that have announced they are battling or have battled prostate cancer.

Many men don’t seek help quickly enough because generally men don’t like going to the doctors and because they are often embarrassed.

So, let’s break the taboo surrounding prostate cancer and talk about what is beginning to become a common condition.

What is the prostate?

It’s a gland and is usually the size and shape of a walnut that grows bigger as you get older.  It sits underneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that carries your wee out of your body.

What is prostate cancer?

When the cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrollable way, then prostate cancer can develop.  Many men with prostate cancer will never need treatment because some prostate cancer grows too slowly to cause any problems or affect how long you live.

However, some prostate cancer grows quickly and is more likely to spread.  It is this prostate cancer that is likely to cause problems and so treatment is needed to stop it spreading.

Who is at risk?

It is not known exactly what causes prostate cancer. Below there are some reasons as to why you are more likely to get it.

• Getting older – mainly affects men aged 50 or over
• A history of prostate cancer in the family
• Being black – about 1 in 4 men within this ethnicity group are more likely to get prostate cancer
• If your mother or sister has had breast cancer, then your risk is higher
• Being overweight

What are the symptoms?

Changes in the way you urinate are more likely to be a sign of a very common non-cancerous problem called an enlarged prostate.  These changes can include:

• Difficulty starting to urinate or emptying the bladder
• The flow is weak when you urinate
• A feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied properly
• Dribbling urine after you finish urinating
• Needing to urinate more often than usual, particularly at night
• A sudden urgency to urinate – this can mean you leak before you reach the toilet

If prostate cancer breaks out of the prostate or spreads to other parts of the body, it can cause other symptoms, including:

• Back, hip or pelvis pain
• Problems in getting or maintaining an erection
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Unexplained weight loss

If you suffer with any of the above symptoms, then tell your GP straight away.  As with any other medical condition, early diagnosis and intervention is so important.

In the UK, around 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, with prostate cancer being the most common cancer in men.

So come on, let’s March it out and raise some money for a very worthy cause

We all know how good walking is for us, so why not join in one of the park walks that Prostate Cancer UK are organising.  This year they are hosting family walking events across the country during May and June.  To register your interest, simply click on the link below.

https://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/march-for-men/organise-your-own-march-for-men

If you feel really daring then why not organise your own with family, friends and neighbours.  This way you get to decide where you walk.  It could be up a mountain, a river walk, in your local forest or a cross country hike, in fact anywhere where it’s suitable to walk.  If you register your walk with Prostate Cancer UK, they will send you a free fundraising pack including lots of tips, ideas and goodies.

March the month

Or, why not challenge yourself by walking 11,000 steps a day during the month of September to get fit and help raise money for this very worthwhile cause.  To sign up, just click on the link below.

https://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/march-for-men/march-the-month

All of the above information relating to prostate cancer has been sourced from https://prostatecanceruk.org

If you have a health insurance policy and would like to know what cover you have in place for any treatment relating to cancer, the team at SMP Healthcare will be happy to explain this to you.  If you don’t have cover in place at the moment but you would like to know the options available to you, particularly the level of cancer cover that is offered by different insurers, then we would be more than happy to go through the options with you.

You can contact us on:

Telephone:  0800 047 0127/ 01245 929129

Email: enquiries@smphealthcare.com or tracy@smphealthcare.com