Early Detection the Key to Prevention
- September 2003
- Français
Ten years after an elevated PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test showed he had prostate cancer, Eugene Yaremy is a happy man – happy because early detection was the key in managing to stave off serious prostate cancer. At age 71, Eugene recalls clearly the path he has taken in the last decade to enjoy good health today.
"I had been working overseas and when I came back, had a full check up with my doctor. My PSA test came back with elevated levels, and because those levels weren’t alarming, my urologist monitored it and we entered a 'watchful waiting' period for two years. In the third years, my PSA number went up by 50%, and I had to go into hospital for a biopsy and then surgery to remove my prostate gland." In the intervening seven years, Eugene has also had radiation therapy and participated in a clinical study receiving hormone treatment for two years. "My wife didn’t give me much sympathy when I got hot flashes," he joked.
Eugene knows the difference a PSA test made in his life, and he is working hard to raise awareness about prostate cancer. He is volunteering with the Niagara Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society and runs the Prostate Cancer Support Group for the St. Catharines area. "We have discussion groups, and bring in speakers and videos."
Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy affecting North American men, says Dr. Ron Casselman, a St. Catharines urologist. "One in six men will get prostate cancer, and one in 27 men will die from it."
The key to prevention is of course, early detection. The PSA test, a simple blood test carried out at a medical laboratory facility, is the best advance warning a man and his physician can have. The normal levels of PSA vary with age. They rise as we age, e.g. at age 50 a healthy level is 2.5 – 3.5, age 60 a healthy level is 3.5 – 4.5, age 70 a healthy level is 6.5. It is important that the PSA reading be interpreted by a physician to determine if a biopsy is required.
Dr. Casselman says diet may play a major part in determining whether prostate cancer will move from being latent to potentially dangerous. "In Thailand and Japan, the incidence of prostate cancer is drastically lower than in North America, and we attribute that to diet." A diet rich in soy-based products, vegetable protein and low in animal fats could be part of the reason for the significant difference. As well, recent evidence about lycopenes (tomatoes) and various vitamins could lead to important health advances in preventing the growth of prostate cancer.
To help reduce the "mystique and fear" about prostate cancer, a Health Awareness Forum on Prostate Cancer is being held Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Club Roma, 125 Vansickle Rd., St. Catharines. Guest speakers are Dr. N. Fleshner from Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Dr. Casselman and Dr. J. Lee, St. Catharines Urologists, and a prostate cancer survivor.
More and more, men are more open to taking charge of their health, says Dr. Casselman, and this is very important in the issue of prostate cancer, because there are no early symptoms. "This is often a painless, slow-growing, and symptomless form of cancer, and the PSA test is the best cancer-detecting and monitoring test we currently have," he says. "Patients coming in now are very knowledgeable, and are taking an active role in their treatment options."
Treatment options are surgery to remove the entire prostate gland, located at the base of the bladder, radiation therapy in a cancer centre, hormone treatment, and chemotherapy. At this time, Niagara residents have to go outside the region for radiation therapy, however, the proposed building of a Niagara Regional Cancer Centre will bring all oncology services here. "Right now, we are having difficulty meeting the four week goal to start radiation therapy, and our patients go to Hamilton, Toronto, London or Buffalo for treatment."
To help kickstart a local fundraising initiative for the Cancer Centre, to be located in St. Catharines, Dr. Casselman and others, including prostate cancer survivor Eugene Yaremy, are planning a Blue Ribbon Gala event Friday, Sept. 26, also at Club Roma. The Niagara Symphony will be performing at the dinner/dance. Tickets are $100 each and are available by calling Dr. Casselman at 905-687-4004 or 905-685-1627.