Dr Bryan Betty: Blue September and Prostate Cancer

Its Blue September – New Zealand’s Prostate Cancer Awareness month. We’ve talked about it in the past, however it’s good to remind all the men out there of the importance of the prostate.  

   

Why is Blue September important?  

• It’s a campaign promoting awareness around prostate cancer.  
• Raises money for Prostate Cancer Foundation. 
• Its key focus is to make you think about prostate cancer and talk about it with your GP.  
• Some key reasons to think about prostate cancer:  
• 4000 men are diagnosed per year – it's the most common cancer for men in New Zealand. 
• 1 in 8 men will develop it over a lifetime.  
• More than 600 men die from prostate cancer each year.  
• Early detection often means early treatment.  
• Most cases occur to those over the age of 60.  

   

What does the prostate do and what do we need to look out for?  

• The prostate is the size of a walnut and sits at the outlet to the bladder.  
• It produces fluid for sperm.  
• Naturally increases in size as get older, which is normal. However, cancer can sometimes develop inside the prostate.  
• If it enlarges, the prostate can block the entrance to bladder casing, which can result in: 
  • Passing urine a lot.  
  • Getting up at night to pass urine.  
  • Feeling the sudden need to go to the toilet.  
  • A weak urine stream  
• Any symptoms or change in passing urine, you need to see your GP for check-up.  
• It often involves a prostate blood test (PSA), sometimes a rectal exam, and maybe a urine check.  
• High PSA can indicate the need for further tests to exclude prostate cancer.  

   

Should we get a regular prostate check if we have no symptoms?  

• From the age of 50 it is something you should discuss with your GP.  
• There is no national screening program so it is an individual decision – many men will choose to have a blood test from the age of 50.  
• Presently there is no firm evidence that a national screening program saves lives.  
• However, a big study is happening in Europe to see if it should be done.  
• Many doctors do recommend check-ups from the age of 50.  
• If you are concerned or reached the age of 50, please discuss a prostate check with your GP. 

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks, that'd be we are.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well and truly into the second half of September now,
I think it's actually almost very nearly spring by anyone's media,
including our man in the Garden. We'll asking very shortly.
But giving it September, it means it is Prostate Cancer
Awareness Month, Blue September. Doctor Brian Betty's with us this morning.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Kilder Cuder, Good morning Jack.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
So why is Blue September so important?

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Look, it is incredibly important. It's a campaign that propots
awareness around prostate cancer and raises money for the Prostate
Cancer Foundation. So men do things like We're Blue. They
get sponsorship for going on runs, or riding on bikes
or jumping out of aeroplanes, whatever it is. But it's
to raise money. But the key thing about it is
to think about prostate cancer and to talk about it

(00:55):
with your GP right now. There's some key reasons for this.
Prostate cancer is one of the commonest cancers in New Zealand.
About four thousand men a year are diagnosed with it,
About one in eight men over a lifetime will develop it,
and more than six hundred men will die a year
from it, so it's incredibly important. And the key thing
here is early detection of prostate cancer can means early

(01:20):
treatment and that can sometimes mean cure. So most occure
of the age of fifty. Something that we do do
need to think about and really really important with this
blue septender to think about prostate cancer and men.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
So what does the prostate actually do and what are
the things we need to kind of look out for
other than obviously getting regular checkouts.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
Yeah, sure, look, Look it's the prostate's a gland. It's
about the size of a walnut and it just sits
around the output to the bladder. So little tube that
leads urine passes through when you go for a pee,
and it just wraps around that. Now, it produces fluid
for sperms. So it's got a very very specific task.
But as we get older men, As men get older,

(02:01):
it naturally increases in size and occasionally cancer can develop it. Now,
if it increases in size, it starts to produce symptoms.
Now those can be like passing urine a lot, getting
at night to go for a p feeling suddenly like
you need to go to the toilet, or you notice
a weaker urine stream or when you go for a
p Now, if you notice any of these symptoms at all,

(02:24):
it's really really important you go to your GP and
have a chat about it. Because there's a very very
simple blood test. We do call it a PSA and
we may do a rectal examination as well. But the
PSA if that's slightly elevated, may mean a problem with
prostate cancer and it needs further investigations. So very very
important to take that step.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Okay, I'm thirty eight, so I'm sort of creaking into
what I think we can all agree is probably middle aged.
But when should we be getting regular prostate checks if
we don't have any symptoms.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Look, look, the reality is most prostate cancer occurs over
the age of fifty. So look, there is no screening
program in New Zealand for prostate cancer. Now. The reason
for that is there's no evidence that have actually does
produce results that short that improved outcomes. Although having said that,
there's a very big study going on in Europe at
the moment to see whether it would be a benefit. However,

(03:18):
as a GP, what I generally recommend my men is
from the age of fifty that you come and have
a chat or we get you in to have a chat,
and we will do a PSA check every year from
that time onwards, just to check what's happening with your
prostate and if there's any problem developing. Again, go back
to that basic principle that earlier you pick up a problem,
the more you can do about it. So look, look, look, look,

(03:40):
I think if you are concerned because you've developed symptoms
or you've reached the age of fifty, please please come
along and have a chat with your GP and talk
about whether a prostate check would be right for you.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, and if you do have symptoms, don't delay right,
get on to it quickly. Is the kind of key point.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
I can't stress it enough, you know, symptoms really sort
of say look, you need to jump in and do something.
And look, nine times out of ten there won't be
a problem like prostate cancer. But it's that one time
out of ten that you need to jump onto it.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, all right, Hey, thank you so much, Brian, really
appreciate it as always. Have a great rest of your
blue September.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
Thanks very much. Jack.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
That is doctor Brian Bett, resident doctor.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame listen live
to News Talks' b from nine Am, saturday or follow
the podcast On iHeartRadio