'You don't need a finger exam to test for prostate cancer' - North East men told
A simple blood test -not a rectal exam - is now the first step in checking for prostate cancer, men across the North East have been told.
Men across the region are uniting during Men's Health Week to promote this message and encourage more men to assess their risk and speak to their GP about testing.
Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in England, with one in eight men diagnosed in their lifetime, but unlike other major cancers, there is still no national screening programme.
Dean Walker (Image: Supplied)
Dean Walker, 63, from Newcastle, said: "When you hear the words 'you have prostate cancer' as I did in December 2022 it fills you with shock and fear as well.
"Shock at the news and then fear of what the future holds.
"I'm so lucky and grateful that me and my wife watched Kenny and Gabby Logan on BBC Breakfast that morning.
"Kenny had no symptoms at all and was urging men to talk to their GP about a PSA blood test.
"It was my wife that convinced me to go and see my GP and I'm so glad I did.
"That TV feature changed my life and I'm keen to help others the way they helped me."
He added: "Prostate cancer is far more treatable if caught early, so it's so important that men are aware of their risk.
"Right now, it's up to us to know that and to speak to our doctors about the PSA blood test.
"So many men are put off by worrying about 'the finger', which is why it's so important for men to know you don't need that anymore to check for prostate cancer.
"I really hope by sharing my story and that message we'll get thousands more men at risk to come forward and chat to their GP."
His call comes as top surgeons and the men's health charity Prostate Cancer UK have called for the end of the digital rectal exam (DRE) as a routine test, describing it as outdated and unnecessary.
In a joint statement, Prostate Cancer UK and the British Association of Urological Surgeons said: "The digital rectal exam is a poor test for prostate cancer.
"The way that prostate cancer is diagnosed has improved vastly in recent years with the introduction of MRI scans and new biopsy techniques.
"A clinician using their finger to feel the prostate is a legacy of the historic pathway; it does not add clinical value but can be a major deterrent to men coming forward for checks.
"In a cash-strapped, time-poor NHS, it makes no sense to do a test unless it could change clinical decision making.
"Our message to men is: understand your risk of prostate cancer by doing Prostate Cancer UK's online risk checker, and if you decide to talk to your GP about testing, know that you can ask to have just a blood test.
"You don't need a finger up the bum to test for prostate cancer."
Despite this, a recent survey of men who used Prostate Cancer UK's Risk Checker found that a third were still being offered a rectal exam, and three per cent were offered the exam instead of a PSA blood test.
Nick Lambert (Image: Supplied) Nick Lambert, 73, from Jesmond, was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in 2020.
Mr Lambert said: "Being diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer was a real shock to me.
"It took quite some time to get my head round it and I'm so grateful to the advice from a friend, who suggested I go on the Prostate Cancer UK risk checker.
"I'm so glad I did.
"Both my father and uncle had the disease, but I felt fit and well, was very active and had absolutely no symptoms at all.
"That's why it's so important that men are aware of their risk of this disease, that being your age, if you are Black or if you have a family history."
He added: 'Since the news in 2020, my treatment continues to contain the disease.
"And it has only reinforced my determination to enjoy every day as it comes, and so far as possible only to do enjoyable things. I have always had a very positive outlook on life, but now I have become conscious that nothing lasts forever."
Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer may contact Prostate Cancer UK's Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or online via the Live Chat instant messaging service: www.prostatecanceruk.org.
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