SOUTH CAPE NEWS - November is designated as Men’s Health Awareness month by the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) and places the spotlight on the Big Five leading types of cancer affecting men.
A balanced lifestyle and screening are essential in lowering the risk and recurrence of the disease, which currently afflicts one in seven men in South Africa during their lifetime.
The five leading cancers targeting South African men are prostate, colorectal, lung, Kaposi sarcoma (a type of skin cancer) and bladder.
While some disease risk factors cannot be controlled such as family history, age and race, others can be minimised by following a wholesome eating plan, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, avoiding alcohol intake as well as doing regular exercise.
Prostate cancer
The number one cancer, affecting one in 18 men in our country, often develops without any symptoms in the early stages.
However, when the disease is advanced, symptoms are likely to occur that include straining to pass urine, leaking urine, bloody urine and bone pain.
If prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated early, the prognosis is often good.
Cansa recommends regular screening from 40 years and up, especially if there is any family history of cancer. Screening is undertaken with a blood test called the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test to detect any prostate abnormalities.
Colorectal cancer
Cancer of the colon or rectum is the second most common cancer and it is estimated that 1 in 75 SA men will develop colorectal cancer.
In early stages symptoms are not present, however, when they do occur, they include a change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, stomach pain, weakness and weight loss.
Cansa encourages early detection and screening by means of a colonoscopy, starting at age 50 and repeated every 10 years depending on the individual’s risk factors.
Faecal occult blood tests are offered at most Cansa Care Centres that look for microscopic blood in the faeces, which may be a sign of a growth, inflammation or bleeding in the digestive system.
Lung cancer
Coming in third is lung cancer with estimates that 1 in 76 SA men will develop lung cancer.
When symptoms appear, they include shortness of breath, cough, a change in sputum, chest pain, noisy breathing, hoarseness and coughing up blood.
Smoking accounts for the majority of preventable lung cancers and the best way to prevent the disease is to not use tobacco products and avoid second-hand smoke.
Kaposi Sarcoma (KS)
The most common Aids-related cancer worldwide is KS, which is the fourth most prevalent cancer in South African men.
Approximately 1 in 315 South African males are affected with KS, which sees patches of abnormal tissue grow under the skin, in the lining of the mouth, nose, throat or in other organs.
About one-third of people with classic KS develop another cancer which can be fatal.
Bladder cancer
And the fifth most common cancer in South African men is bladder cancer affecting 1 in 148 men.
The largest risk factor that can be avoided is smoking, which doubles the chance of bladder cancer.
No screening is available, however, blood in the urine, a change in urine colour, the need to go frequently and burning pain are some of the symptoms.
Testicular cancer is common amongst young South African men aged between 15 and 39 years with one in 2 084 men affected by this cancer.
Early detection improves the survival rate and the symptoms appear in both the testicles and scrotum and include lumps, swelling and pain.
The testicular self-examination each month is an easy and effective way for men to look out for any unusual or abnormal signs.
Testi-monials is a campaign created by FCB Cape Town for CANSA that set out to remove the awkwardness around talking about testicular cancer and drive awareness about how important it is that men not only talk balls but take care of them too.
The campaign features testicles giving their own testi-monials about cancer and how they have been personally affected.
They will give advice on how to self-examine and help detect signs and symptoms.
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