Men encouraged to become prostate aware

Men in Leicestershire and Rutland with problems peeing are being encouraged to get checked out by their doctor, as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month begins.
NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland is hoping the event during March will encourage more men to be prostate aware and to seek help with any problems earlier, instead of ignoring them.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, as well as across Leicestershire and Rutland. There are 464 new cases, based on data from 2006, diagnosed each year in the two counties and 124 deaths, based on data from 2008, per year.
Dr Chris Trzcinski, a GP and chairman of NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland’s professional executive committee, said: “Anyone suffering from problems urinating should visit their doctor and get checked out. Prostate cancer tends to develop later in life compared to other cancers, most cases develop in men aged 65 and over, and survival rates are good, with nearly 80 per cent of sufferers still alive after five years. The disease usually progresses fairly slowly and can take up to 15 years to spread from the prostate to other parts of the body. But, once the cancer has spread to the bones, it can’t be cured, which is why men shouldn’t ignore any problems.”
For more information on prostate cancer visit NHS Choices at www.nhs.uk