Do not ignore prostate threat urges survivor
Wednesday August 26 2009
Men are still unwilling to talk about prostate cancer, despite its prevalence in Irish society and massive awareness campaigns, a cancer survivor has warned.
Jim Scott (71), from Churchtown, Co Dublin, said a lot of work still needs to be done to get people to talk openly about the disease and the need for men to get regular medical checks.
Mr Scott, who is chairman of Men Against Cancer (MAC) in Ireland said: "Men are reluctant to talk about it but it's improving. There's still work to be done."
"I think it will take time. We're an island, so it's important to link up with other countries. We have to benchmark ourselves against them."
Since he was given the all-clear in 2002, Jim has been working to share his experiences with men who have also fallen victim to the common cancer.
He was diagnosed at the end of 2000 and he had both prostate glands removed in March 2001.
He said: "I was having a Prostate Specific antigen test (PSA) over the years and a doctor told me 'we found some spots'. But the first thing I remember he said was 'it's not life threatening'."
"After the surgery, my PSA was down to 0.01 and it's stayed that way. It was 5.8 before the operation."
Jim said men who have prostate cancer need support to help them deal with issues like erectile dysfunction and cancer pain.
He said: "It's important to have a support mechanism. Men who've been diagnosed can talk to someone.
"Only a patient can give the patient's experience, and advice on how to cope with pain. Nurses and doctors can talk about it, but patients know."
Mr Scott said he was heartened to hear the stories of other cancer survivors at the Global Cancer Summit yesterday, which was organised by champion cyclist Lance Armstrong.
He said: "It was great to be there and see cancer survivors from different countries tell their stories."
Continual testing helped Jim's cancer to be spotted early, and he advised every man to get checked regularly.
hnews@herald.ie
- Geraldine Gittens
