Last time, we dealt with the types of cancer which so commonly affect WOMEN in the retirement age group. So today, I’m going to talk about the cancers which affect MEN.

Now, gentlemen: do please read on! What follows concerns YOU – and it’s possible that the advice I give in this article might actually save your life.

So what are the really common cancers which affect males? I find that many men have the wrong idea about this, and think that TESTICLE cancer is the biggest threat to them.

This simply isn’t true; testicular growths aren’t all that common. Also, they mainly affect YOUNGER chaps – it is quite rare for a man in the retirement age group to get this disease.

So let’s have a look at the ‘league table’ of the eight cancers which frequently affect men in the UK. You’ll immediately see that LUNG cancer – which was for many years the commonest malignancy – is now only in second place. There are two reasons for this:

·        As more and more blokes have given up smoking, lung cancer rates in males have dropped quite dramatically in recent years;

·        PROSTATE cancer has become more commonly diagnosed in the last decade – so it has overtaken lung cancer as the most common tumour to hit British males.

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Now, here’s the league table:

1. PROSTATE                                                                      23%

2. LUNG                                                                                16%

3. BOWEL                                                                             14%

4. BLADDER                                                                          5%

5. STOMACH                                                                          4%

6. NON-HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA                                     4%

7. GULLET                                                                              3%

Please note that the above table shows the number of CASES of cancers in British men – not the figures for DEATHS.

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CANCER DEATHS IN MEN

The statistics for DEATHS are very different. You’ll see from the second table (below) that LUNG cancer remains the malignancy that causes most deaths among men -- even though it’s not as common as it was.

That’s because lung carcinoma (cancer) is extremely ‘aggressive,’ and difficult to treat. Also, its early symptoms are often insidious -- so that it can be very hard to diagnose

TYPE OF CANCER                                          PERCENTAGE OF CANCER DEATHS

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

LUNG                                                                                               28%

PROSTATE                                                                                      14%

BOWEL                                                                                            12%

GULLET                                                                                             7%

STOMACH                                                                                         5%

PANCREAS                                                                                       5%

BLADDER                                                                                         4%

NON-HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA                                                    3%

KIDNEY                                                                                             3%

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EARLY DIAGNOSIS

Now these statistics are quite complex. But one thing is VERY clear, and it’s this. The earlier you get yourself diagnosed, the better are your chances of survival.

Therefore, EVERY man ought to learn the early warning signs of the eight common cancers.  In a moment, I’m going to tell you what those warning symptoms are.

If you get any of them, don’t waste time: consult your doctor within a couple of days!  I’ve seen many men who have saved their own lives by reacting promptly in this way

Sadly, I have also seen many chaps who DIDN’T do anything when they got the first symptoms of cancer. And quite often, they lost their lives as a result.

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THOSE COMMON CANCERS – One by One

Now let’s look at those common cancers in detail.

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PROSTATE CANCER

First thing to say about the prostate is that it is NOT called ‘the PROSTRATE,’ as about half the British public think! The word is ‘PROSTATE.’

Now the prostate gland is about the size of a large chestnut. Your urinary pipe runs right through the middle of it – just like the hole that kids drill through conkers. So if anything goes wrong with your prostate, that will probably interfere with your urinary flow.

Symptoms of prostatic carcinoma are much the same as those of BENIGN (i.e. non-malignant) enlargement of the prostate – which is actually far commoner than cancer. They may include:

• Dribbling;
• Difficulty getting started;
• Having to  ‘go’  a lot;
• Getting up a lot at night to pass water;
• Being totally unable to pee.

In addition, some men get PAIN when they reach orgasm.

If you develop any of these symptoms, bear in mind that the odds are that you HAVEN’T got cancer – just benign enlargement of the prostate. Nevertheless, you should go to your doctor.  He will examine you rectally – because that’s the only way he can feel the prostate. And he will almost certainly do blood tests, to help make the diagnosis.

If by chance you DO turn out to have prostatic cancer and it’s ‘caught’ early, the chances of survival are good. Treatment may involve surgery, radiotherapy or hormone drugs.

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LUNG CANCER

Lung carcinoma occurs almost entirely among long-term smokers, or ex-smokers. There are a few non-smokers who get it -- like that nice and much-missed guy Roy Castle.  But such cases are rare. Some of them are caused by ‘passive’ smoking.

However, it’s not widely realized that a number of cases of lung cancer in non-smokers are due to the radioactive gas RADON, which escapes from the ground in a few parts of the UK.

If your area of the UK is affected by radon, then:

• Your local council should warn the public;
• They should help you with fitting special devices which direct the radon gas AWAY from your home.

SYMPTOMS The early symptoms of lung cancer are (alas) often pretty vague. Things to look out for include:

• A chest infection which refuses to clear up;
• Spitting-up of blood;
• Persistent pain in the chest;
• Persistent weight loss.

If you’re a smoker and you get any of the above symptoms, please see a doctor FAST.  Frankly, lung cancer is not easy to treat. The best hope of success is to catch it really EARLY.

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BOWEL CANCER

Bowel cancer mainly occurs in the over-50 age group. Possible symptoms include:

• Bleeding from the rectum (though this may just be due to piles);
• Anaemia (due to blood loss in the motions);
• Unexplained and persistent pain in the tummy;
• Weight loss;
• A fairly sudden and inexplicable CHANGE in your ‘bowel habit.’

Should you notice any of those symptoms, you really must see a doc right away, for an examination (including a rectal exam) and tests.

Bowel carcinoma is usually treated by surgery. Once again, if it is diagnosed in time, the results of treatment are very good.

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BLADDER CANCER

Bladder cancer is yet another condition which mainly affects the over-55s. It’s much more frequent in smokers.  Commonest symptom is BLOOD in the urine.

Admittedly, bloodstained urine (haematuria) can be caused by other conditions – for instance, a urinary infection. But if you get this symptom, you should go to your GP within 24 hours. Most important: take a urine specimen with you.

If there is any suspicion of cancer of the bladder, your doctor will refer you urgently to a urological surgeon (urologist), who will be working with an oncologist (tumour specialist). Their treatment – which may include both surgery and chemotherapy -- will give you a good chance of recovery.

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STOMACH CANCER

This is commonest in men aged over 55.  It usually causes ‘ulcer-like’ symptoms – that is, pain in the upper part of the tummy, often relieved by food or antacids. There may be persistent indigestion, acidity and burping.

If the cancer BLEEDS, you may notice black motions when you go to the toilet. Another possible symptom is unexplained weight loss.

Treatment is generally surgical – to try and remove the tumour.

You can guess what I’m going to say: if you get any of the above symptoms, see a doctor – fast!

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NON-HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA

This is the rather cumbersome name of a cancer of the white blood cells, which causes swelling in the lymph glands at various places in the body.

It’s been increasing a lot in recent years, and no one is entirely sure why.

The peak age is 40 to 70, and it affects men rather more than women.

Common symptoms of NHL are:

• Swelling of the lymph glands in the neck, the armpit and elsewhere;
• Abdominal swelling;
• Fever;
• Night sweats;
• Weight loss.

All of these symptoms can be caused by other things - so if you get them, please don't ASSUME you have NHL.  You probably haven't.  Nonetheless, check with your doctor.

Treatment by an oncologist (cancer specialist), using chemotherapy and radiotherapy, is giving increasingly good results.

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GULLET CANCER

This is a growth in the oesophagus (the gullet). Chief symptom is usually a feeling of BLOCKAGE of food – which seems to ‘stick’ about half-way down the chest, or just behind the lower end of the breastbone. There may be regurgitation of food.

This cancer is commonest in the over-50s, and in those who smoke and/or drink a lot of spirits.

If YOUR food seems to be ‘sticking’ in your chest, see your doctor. He will send you to a specialist who can do special tests (such as barium x-rays, scans and endoscopy) to find out if there is a cancer in the gullet. If there is, treatment may involve surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy

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KIDNEY CANCER

Sir Sean Connery was recently treated for this. Like so many other carcinomas, it’s commonest in the over-60s. (Sean is now 75.)   Obesity and smoking increase the risk of getting it.

Likeliest symptom is BLEEDING in the urine. It can also cause pain in the back, and swelling around the kidney area.

Prompt treatment – which usually involves removing the kidney – gives good results.

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SUMMING UP

I am sure that by now you can see the two main ‘messages’ in this article:

• YOU are in the age group where cancer is commonest;
• If you get diagnosed and treated FAST, your chances of beating ‘the Big C’ are good.

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Q I have recently had some bleeding from the anus. I went to see my doctor, and he examined my tummy – then told me nothing was wrong. He did NOT examine my bottom.

Is this adequate?

A  Definitely not. Anyone who has bled rectally does really need a rectal examination. Unfortunately, some doctors ‘skip’ this, for reasons of embarrassment.

So please go back and see another partner in the practice, and ask him/her to do this simple check-up for you.

Q  Is cancer ‘catching’ in any way?

A  No. There are some tumours – occurring in remote parts of the world – which are apparently caused by a virus. But in general, the cancers which we have in Britain are totally non-infectious.

Q  Can MEN get breast cancer? I have an odd swelling under my nipple, and wonder what it is.

A  Breast cancer is very rare in men – affecting only a couple of hundred British males per year.  However, it does occur – so get this lump checked out by a doctor.

Q  My wife tells me CHEESE is fattening. Is she right?

A  I’m afraid so, sir. Cheese contains a lot of fat -- and fat is packed with calories.

A good alternative is HALF-FAT cheese, which is sold by health-conscious shops.

Q  My husband says that I shouldn’t buy reading glasses ‘off the peg’ at the supermarket. Is he correct?

A  No. It used to be against the Law to buy reading glasses from anyone except an optician! These days, we know that it’s perfectly safe to pick your own reading specs.

However, anyone over 50 should take care to have regular check-ups from an optician.

Q  I am female, age 65, and have suddenly started having periods again. Why?

A These are NOT periods. Please see your doctor at once to have this bleeding investigated.