“I’ve been lucky to be in good health most of my life. I played a lot of soccer and golf and have always kept active and tried to be health conscious, although when I was younger - like most blokes – I ate and drank what I wanted,” says Ryan, of Brisbane.
“When I hit my 40s the body started to slow down and I started to get regular blood tests just to keep a check on various things. But last year, I noticed that it was getting more difficult when I went to urinate. I’d end up standing there for longer and I just knew something wasn’t right - it wasn’t normal for me.
“It took a couple of trips to the GP and I had to be a bit persistent with the doctor, as they thought I was too young to have major problems with my prostate, being in my 40s. Also my PSA test results fluctuated a bit. “I saw urologist Dr Jamie Reynolds at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Northside and he organised for me to have an MRI then a biopsy.”
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia and the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Australian men.
There has been a surge in the number of cases in the past year, with a record 26,368 Australian men diagnosed with prostate cancer while it’s expected 3,901 men around the nation will die from the disease this year.
However, an even larger tsunami of prostate cancer cases is headed our way – along with the commensurate financial burden to patients, families and the community. Prostate cancer costs more than $1.35 billion to treat every year and accounts for more hospitalisations than any other form of cancer.
And the number of men living with the disease is expected to increase by as much as 50 per cent between now and 2040 – with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia saying the health system could be at risk of crisis if the public and private health systems fail to expand specialist services to support newly diagnosed patients.
Dr Reynolds says patients like Ryan Janes are increasingly common – younger and with minimal symptoms, which in some cases can still mask an aggressive cancer.
“The best course for Ryan was to do the prostatectomy which we did here at St Vincent’s Northside with the Da Vinci robotic surgery,” says Dr Reynolds. “The widespread use of robotic surgery for prostate cancer is an important factor in better surgical outcomes with the majority of surgery performed using the technology.
"It's minimally invasive surgery using small incisions, and it has benefits over open prostate surgery including less blood loss and reduced need for blood transfusions, and lower infection rates. There's also less pain for the patient, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker return to normal activities.”
“We’ve known for a while that the PSA test (a blood test performed to assess a man’s risk of having prostate cancer) isn’t perfect and some people say it’s a waste of time because PSA levels can fluctuate.
But by doing the test, it does give patients and their GPs the opportunity to initiate further assessment and awareness with a urologist,” says Dr Martin.
“If there are concerns about the accuracy or results from a PSA, the referral to a urologist who can organise an MRI or PET scans will get to the bottom of the issue. I think men are getting the message about having open dialogues between each other and with their GPs and the critical importance of early detection via testing.
“That awareness is also enhanced by knowing and understanding your family history of prostate cancer. If your father or uncles were diagnosed when they were under 50 there’s a higher risk of prostate cancer for the next generation of men – so knowledge and awareness is power – and could also be a lifesaver.”
