Dr Mary McCarthy: Comical reminder of serious issues

The month of November has, over the last few years, been enlivened by the sight of male co-workers, friends and neighbours suddenly sprouting whiskers.The movement originated in Australia in 2003 to raise awareness for diseases prevalent in men, in particular, prostate cancer. The UK joined in 2007.

The prostate is a gland at the base of the bladder through which the urethra, the drainage tube from the bladder, passes. It tends to increase gradually in size in later years and in doing so can compress the exit tube from the bladder.

Symptoms usually appear when the patient notices difficulty in passing water, problems both in starting the stream and in stopping. The initial GP appointment will often be prompted because the patient is getting up at night to urinate or because they spend their time, when out, looking for the nearest toilet. This can often be attributed to Benign Prostate Hypertrophy (overgrowth of the prostate gland or BPH) which is quite common and symptoms can be eased by medication that relieves the pressure on the urethra.

There are, however, more serious causes. Cancer of the prostate is more common after fifty years of age but may occur earlier if there is a family history. Black men have a higher incidence of having prostate cancer so it is especially important that they are aware of the potential dangers.

There are two tests a doctor can do to check the prostate. The first is to feel for abnormalities – normal overgrowth feels smooth and even whereas the existence of a tumour may feel hard and uneven. The second is a blood test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). This is not specific for cancer since a raised level may indicate infection but a high PSA raises the suspicion of cancer and prompts a referral to a consultant urologist, a specialist in this field.

Surgery may well be offered but not always. Sometimes a 'watch and wait' policy is more appropriate since in many cases the prostate cancer may be growing so slowly that it is judged that the patient will die from other causes before the prostate cancer starts causing trouble. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are other options as is hormone therapy . Any of these can be used alone or in combination.

Though comical in nature, these moustaches are a welcome reminder to have more awareness of this important issue.