Men need to get over it!
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swans urges ageing men to “get over” any hang-ups about their sex lives and get checked for prostate cancer as soon as possible. “When it comes to prostate cancer there is a fear about their sex lives, no doubt about that. But being alive is the most important thing,” he says.
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swans urges ageing men to “get over” any hang-ups about their sex lives and get checked for prostate cancer as soon as possible.
“When it comes to prostate cancer there is a fear about their sex lives, no doubt about that. But being alive is the most important thing,” he says.
Experts say any man aged over 50 years is at risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer – particularly if there is a history of the disease in the family.
Mr Swan, who was also diagnosed with prostate cancer a decade ago, believes men – particularly those who are older – desperately need to be tested.
He tells AAP “myths circulating about the reliability of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests needed to be dispelled”.
“I was lucky I had a very switched-on GP,” Mr Swans admits, adding the challenge with prostate cancer is if it is diagnosed early, it doesn’t necessarily “escape the prostate”.
The federal budget has since included funds to research a cure for prostate cancer.
More men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year than women with breast cancer.
