The five leading cancers affecting men (excluding melanoma) according to the 2016 National Cancer Registry (NCR) are prostate, colorectal, lung, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and bladder cancer.
While it isn’t possible to screen for all of these cancers, men can take advantage of screening that is available.
The lifetime risk for prostate cancer for men in SA is 1 in 17 (NCR 2016). Men need not be fearful of invasive screening when a simple Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test can determine prostate specific antigen levels and if they are at risk of prostate cancer. Early detection improves treatment outcomes, so we urge men, over 40 years not to delay and to take advantage of our reduced screening fee for PSA testing at local CANSA Care Centres.
Did You Know?
Men aged 40 with a history of prostate cancer on either the mother or father’s side, or with a first-degree relative (father, brother, or son) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than 65 years), should go for screening, and from the age of 45, all other men should too.
Another risk factor to be aware of, is the potential increased risk for prostate cancer developing when there a family history of first-degree female relatives diagnosed with breast cancer linked to BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation (first degree relatives include a mother, grandmother, sisters and aunts) – CANSA!
