Men’s cancers

13 11 20Cancer Council

Men and cancer.

How many men get cancer?Even though less than half of the Australian population are men, more men than women are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Table 1: Men’s health in Australia

Men Women Total

Cancer diagnoses in 2013

68,936 55,529124,465

55.4% 44.6%

Cancer deaths in 2014

24,718 19,45344,171

55.9% 44.1%

Australian population 12.3 million 12.4 million 24,777,023

Life expectancy at birth 79.4 years 84.4 years

In 2014 there were 6,816 Western Australian (WA)men diagnosed with cancer and 2244 who died from cancer.

Cancers that affect menAlthough prostate cancer and testicular cancer only occur in men, they are not the only cancers that affect men. This brochure looks at the most common cancers to affect WA men including skin, lung, bowel, prostate, and testicular cancers. Together these make up three out of every five cancers diagnosed in men. Some cancers can be prevented, so keep reading to find out how.

“What I’ve seen too many men do is wait until they get cancer before they start to do the right thing”

44+21+11+10+5+5+4Figure 1: Cancer new cases and deaths in

Western Australian men, 2014

New cases, 2014

Deaths, 2014

All other cancers43.8%

Lung21.9%

Bowel10.7%

Prostate10.3%

Pancreas 4.9%

Melanoma 4.5%

Liver 3.9%

30+29+11+10+9+5+3+3All other cancers

29%

Kidney 3.3%

Melanoma11.4%

Bowel 10.8%

Lung9.1%

Lymphoma 4.8%

Bladder 3.1%

Prostate28.5%

Skin cancerSkin cancer is by far the most common cancer type in Western Australian men. Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) makes up most of these cases. In 2014, there were more than 55,000 paid Medicare services for skin cancer treatments in men in WA. In the same year, 774 men in WA were diagnosed with melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Skin cancer is more common in men, and more men than women die from skin cancer. The good news is that skin cancer is almost totally preventable, and when found early can be very successfully treated.

Prostate cancerProstate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in Western Australian men. Each year about 2000 men in WA face the news that they have prostate cancer. We’re still not sure what causes prostate cancer, but we know that factors that increase the risk include:

– age– family history

vas deferens

urethra

penis epididymis

testicle

scrotum

bowel

seminal vesicleprostate gland

Male reproductive system

Bowel cancer Bowel cancer was the third most common cancer in men in WA in 2014. We know a lot about preventing bowel cancer and a lot about finding bowel cancer early, yet it still makes up about 11 per cent of all cancer deaths in WA. Maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, eating well, avoiding alcohol and quitting smoking are all things men can do to reduce their risk of bowel cancer.

Lung cancerIn WA lung cancer it is still the leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Lung cancer is mostly a preventable disease, with cigarette smoking by far the main cause, but it does occur in people who have never smoked.

Testicular cancerTesticular cancer is not a common cancer, making up about one per cent of all cancers diagnosed in men in WA. Unlike other cancers, most cases of testicular cancer are in young men aged between 15 and 45. It is not known what causes testicular cancer. Having an undescended testicle, previous testicular cancer, or a family history increases a man’s risk. Importantly young men need to know and respond to the symptoms of testicular cancer. The good news is, when found early, 98 per cent of men diagnosed with testicular cancer will be cured.

What you can do?Stop smokingTobacco smoking is the most common cause of cancer and is responsible for almost 1 in every 5 cancer deaths. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including 69 chemicals known to cause cancer (carcinogens). Quitting smoking has major and immediate benefits at any age, and smokers don’t have to do it alone! Talk to your doctor, call the Quitline 13 78 48 for confidential counselling or visit makesmokinghistory.org.au for more information and resources to help you quit.

Avoid or limit alcoholA lot more men than women drink to a risky level.Drinking alcohol increases the risk of many different types of cancer including mouth, liver and bowel cancers. We recommend avoiding alcohol. If you choose to drink, then drink no more than 2 standard drinks on any day. One standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol. In Australia, packaged alcoholic drinks are required to state the number of standard drinks. Men who drink more than four standard drinks in a day increase their short-term risk of health and social problems.Alcohol also contains a lot of energy (kilojoules or calories) – similar to the amount in soft drink – and can contribute to weight gain.

100 mL(one glass wine)

285 mL(one middy

full strength beer)

30 mL(one nip spirit)

Be SunSmartSkin cancer is mainly caused by UV radiation, so it’s simple to lower your risk by avoiding overexposure to the sun. Remember to Be SunSmart when the UV Index is 3 or above, by using a combination of these five simple steps:

SLIP on sun protective clothing

SLOP on SPF 30+ sunscreen

SLAP on a hat

SEEK shade

SLIDE on some sunglasses

Move your bodyOver half of men don’t do enough physical activity each day for good health.All physical activity is beneficial to your health, but longer and harder activity offers some additional benefits. If you are not physically active, try gradually increasing the amount of physical activity that you do every day. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity every day for good health. Sixty minutes of activity, including some vigorous intensity exercise, is more likely to improve your health and reduce your cancer risk.

Obese

Overweight

Healthy weight

Underweight

BMI = 18.5

BMI = 25

BMI = 30

115

110

105

100

90

85

95

75

70

80

55

60

65

50

45

Height (m) – without shoes2.001.951.901.851.801.751.701.60 1.651.551.50

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Stay in shapeMore than 2 out of every 3 men aged 25-64 years are overweight or obese. Waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are both used to assess weight. Together, they can give a sense of your health risk. Regardless of weight and shape, it is important to be physically active and eat more vegetables, fruit and wholegrains.

Waist 94+ cmincrease risk

Waist 102+ cm highest risk

Eat for healthMore than 80 per cent of men don’t eat enough vegetables for good health and more than half don’t eat enough fruit.

As there is no one food that protects against cancer, it is recommended that you include a variety of nutritious foods in your diet. A healthy diet rich in fruit, vegetables and wholegrains, with moderate amounts of lean meat and dairy foods can reduce your cancer risk.

Men should aim to eat at least 2 serves of fruit and 6 serves of vegetables every day for good health. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the best, but frozen, dried or canned are good alternatives. Include a variety of wholegrain foods every day.

Diets high in red and processed meat increase the risk of bowel cancer. We recommend eating less than 500 grams per week, which is around 65 grams no more than 7 times a week. Processed meats (salami, bacon and ham) should be limited or avoided. Poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts and legumes are good alternatives to red meat

Finding cancer earlyBowel cancerWhen found early, bowel cancer treatment is very successful. Men over 50 should consider being screened for bowel cancer every two years using an immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT). iFOBT detects small traces of blood in your poo. Men 50 and over will be eligible for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and will receive a kit in the mail. By 2020 all men aged 50-74 years will be invited to participate every two years. Men with a positive iFOBT result are referred to a specialist for more tests for bowel cancer.

Skin cancer Being familiar with your own skin increases your chance of finding skin cancer at an early and highly treatable stage. You can and should check your whole body yourself, not just areas normally exposed to the sun. Get someone to check the parts of your body that you cannot see. If you find a new spot on your skin, one that has changed in size, shape or colour or a non-healing sore, see your doctor as soon as you can.

Prostate cancerThere is no national screening program for prostate cancer. At the moment the Prostate Specific Antigen test (PSA) is not a suitable test to use on well men with no symptoms. When the benefits and harms of PSA testing are weighed up, there is no clear, overall benefit. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate. If the prostate becomes enlarged or damaged, PSA can be detected in the blood. A high PSA level can be a sign of cancer, but PSA will also be raised in prostate conditions that are not cancer.

While there is no population screening program, some men may still choose to have a PSA test. Talk to your doctor if:

• you are over 50 and concerned about prostate cancer

• you think you are at a higher than average risk of developing prostate cancer

It’s important for your doctor to talk to you about your risk factors; age, symptoms, family history and the impact of a prostate cancer diagnosis on your quality of life before you decide to have a PSA test for prostate cancer. It is very common for men over 50 years of age to experience symptoms related to changes in urinary flow, urgency or control. In most cases these symptoms are caused by non-cancerous, enlargement of the prostate. They should be checked by a doctor.

Testicular cancerThere is no national screening program for testicular cancer. It’s important for young men who notice something unusual in either testicle or their scrotum to have it checked by a doctor immediately. Don’t wait and see. Symptoms that need to be checked include: a painless lump; swelling pain or ache; pain in the abdomen; or noticing a sudden fluid build-up in the scrotum.

For support and information on cancer and cancer-related issues, speak to a Cancer Council nurse on 13 11 20

or visit cancerwa.asn.au. Calls are confidential and available statewide

Monday to Friday during business hours.

What can men do?

• Stop smoking

• Avoid alcohol

• Stay in shape

• Move your body

• Eat for health

• Be SunSmart

• Participate in and support screening and vaccination programs

• Know your body and get any changes checked by your doctor

• Talk to your doctor about cancer

Image courtesy of Queensland Health 09/2018