Dear Readers,

Lifeline thanks L Rose for his good wishes and is sorry for its delayed response.

Rose wrote Lifeline from Kingston 19 and is interested in hearing what a prostate check-up entails, as he would like to have one done soon.

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland, which is located in front of the rectum, just beneath the bladder.

It surrounds the urethra (urine tube) and produces the fluid that is a part of semen.

Problems occur commonly in the prostate gland.

These are:

Prostatitis (Inflammation of the prostate gland).

Prostate enlargement (Benign prostatic enlargement).

Prostate cancer.

These conditions occur commonly in men worldwide.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in males in Jamaica.

Men 50 years and older are more at risk for prostate enlargement and prostate cancer.

There is strong relaton between advancing age and susceptibility to prostate cancer and other prostate-related problems.

The symptoms of a prostate disorder include:

Urinary frequency

Urinary urgency

Difficulty passing urine

Interrupted urine stream

Incontinence of urine

Poor urine stream

Frequent urination at nights

Painful urination

Painful ejaculation.

Symptoms for the prostate disorders overlap. It is important not to ignore symptoms when they occur. Have the prostate gland tested and examined.

There are methods to study the prostate and discern if disease exists.

The most commonly used tests are the digital rectal examination (DRE) and the blood investigation, the prostate specific antigen (PSA).

DRE is a physical examination of the prostate, which involves the male lying on his side, on a couch, with his back to the examiner, in the knees-to-chest position.

A gloved and lubricated index finger is inserted into the rectum, and the prostate gland gently examined for normalcy or irregularities.

When over age 50 DRE becomes a part of the routine examination for men. It is associated with slight or no discomfort and cannot injure the prostate.

The PSA blood test is usually recommended for men over 50, who have a family history of prostate cancer.

This test is done to rule out prostate cancer. However, inflammation can also give rise to abnormal blood PSA levels, and the method is not infallible.

The PSA is also a good screening test, which doctors use to follow up prostate health after treatment for prostate cancer.

When both DRE and PSA are performed, the likelihood of detecting prostate cancer is enhanced.

Other tests used to detect prostate disease are:

Urinalysis (testing the urine for infection and inflammation).

Abdominal ultrasound.

Trans-rectal ultrasound with prostate biopsy.

Cystoscopy

Urodynamic tests

CT Scan

MRI evaluation.

In the older man, testing the prostate, in the absence of any symptoms, is not routinely performed anymore.

This is because excessive testing has been found to result in unnecessary surgeries, which can be associated with complications at times (such as erectile dysfunction).

Most prostate cancers are slow-growing, which means a man over 70 is more likely to demise from high blood pressure and diabetes, etc., rather than from prostate cancer.

It is now highly recommended that older men discuss the need for routine prostate screening with their doctor or urologist.

On the other hand, where there is a family history of prostate cancer, screening begins at an earlier age.

Lifeline hopes Rose finds this information useful.

He is advised to visit his family doctor or a urologist to discuss whether he needs to be tested and to follow up on any decisions made.

Write to:

LIFELINE,

PO Box 1731,

KGN 8

AJM