PROSTATE CANCER STILL UNDER DIAGNOSED AMONG MALAYSIAN MEN

KUCHING (Bernama) - Prostate cancer accounts for 6.2 per
cent of cancer cases in males in the country but the disease is still under
diagnosed and undertreated among Malaysian men, Sarawak General Hospital's
Urology Department head and senior consultant urologist, Dr Teh Guan Chou said
Saturday.

He said prostate cancer was the fourth most common cancer in Malaysia but it
rarely displayed symptoms at the early stage with patients only experiencing the
onset of symptoms as the cancer grew while benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
was also a common condition of the prostate.

"The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male
reproductive system and it is estimated that approximately half of men will
develop one of the prostate diseases, especially when they get older," he said.

He said BPH, which produces urinary symptoms which are bothersome and
affects the patient’s lifestyle and sleep, is a non-cancerous enlargement of the
gland occurring most commonly in men over the age of 50.

Realising the low level of awareness on prostate diseases, he said the
Urology Department would conduct a prostate awareness campaign over two weekends
this month aimed at men aged 45 and above to educate them on prostate health and
the need for early detection and screening.

As part of the campaign, free prostate screenings will be conducted at The
Spring Shopping Mall on Oct 9 and the Sarawak General Hospital on Oct 15 by
healthcare professionals.