March is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Simple message is ‘get changes checked out’

Every hour in the UK 4 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and one man dies from it - it’s the most common cancer in men. However the good news is ¾ of men diagnosed with prostate cancer now survive the disease beyond five years. In the 1970s it was a ⅓.

The symptoms for both benign prostatic disease (which is not cancer, can be easily treated and common in older men) and prostate cancer can be similar - the symptoms are:

• having to rush to the toilet to pass urine
• passing urine more often and/or at night
• difficulty starting the flow of urine
• starting and stopping whilst passing urine
• a feeling of not having emptied the bladder fully
• dribbling of urine

less common symptoms:

• impotence
• blood in urine or semen
• pain in the back, hips or pelvis

If men notice any of the above changes they should not allow natural embarrassment to delay seeking the advice of their GP. Some prostate cancers do not cause changes or symptoms. Your doctor is an expert in recognising what is normal and what is not, early recognition of potentially serious conditions make it possible to receive treatment quickly.

Getting changes/symptoms checked out will put your mind at rest and early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment.

For more information click on the prostate cancer pages on the left.

Cancer Prevention – lifestyle changes can save lives

Around 800 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK but by making lifestyle changes we could reduce that number by half.

Our aim is not to bully or nag but to pass on accurate, informative messages about cancer and ways we can become fitter, look better and achieve a healthier lifestyle.

• Smoking is responsible for a third of all cancers so don't just give yourself the best present ever; improve the health of your family and friends too by quitting or not smoking in their company. 9 out of 10 lung cancers are caused by smoking.
  
  In 2005 over 38,000 people were diagnosed with lung cancer - if people stopped smoking that number would be reduced to 4,000
  
  Wednesday, 10 March 2010 is No Smoking Day if you want to stop smoking there has never been a better time. There’s lots of help and support – contact your local NHS Stop Smoking Service - free helpline number 0800 022 4332.
• Eating a sensible well balanced diet, drinking less alcohol and taking regular exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers
• Attend screening appointments, we have three national programmes: bowel cancer screening has now been introduced in Gloucestershire for men and women aged 60-69, cervical screening for women aged 25 - 64 and breast screening for women aged 50 – 70. All these services can and do save lives.
• Take care in the sun – You can still burn on sunny days in the Autumn and Spring. Lots of people have winter sunshine breaks and skiing holidays - be careful, use a high factor sunscreen of 15+ and reapply regularly. Take care not to burn and ensure children and babies are well protected.
  
  Avoid using sun-beds. It is now known that the UVA radiation emitted by sun-beds can cause skin cancer as well as ageing skin prematurely.
  
  Click on the Reduce the Risk topic on the left for more detailed information.

Cancer Symptoms

Are you aware that some changes affecting your body can be symptoms of cancer?

Check out the ones listed below and see your GP if you have any of them. You are not wasting the doctors time they know early detection is the key to successful treatment of cancer.

It’s important to see your doctor if you have:

• An unusual lump or swelling anywhere on the body
• A sore that won’t heal
• A mouth or tongue ulcer that lasts longer than three weeks
• A persistent cough, reoccurring chest infection
• Persistent difficulty swallowing or indigestion
• Problems passing urine
• Blood in your urine
• Change to more frequent bowel motions that lasts longer than six weeks
• Blood in your bowel motions
• Unexplained weight loss
• An unexplained pain or ache that lasts longer than four weeks
• A mole change (change in size, shape or colour)

For Women:

• Bleeding from the vagina after the menopause or between periods.

Click on the specific cancer sites on the left for more information and to find out what the Charity is doing to improve cancer services locally.