Prostate Cancer UK state that 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lives. With around 52,300 new cases of prostate cancer, in the UK, every year.
If caught early, prostate cancer can be cured, and people go on to live their lives. Even though it is not always life-threatening, some people can, unfortunately, die from the disease. The recent passing of ex-BBC presenter Bill Turnbull reinforces the fact that not all who are diagnosed with prostate cancer, beat the disease.
Phil announced he had been diagnosed with cancer back in March 2018. Following this, NHS England said that there were around 70,000 visits to the prostate cancer page on the NHS website. Which was around a 250% increase from the normal 20,000 visitors.
His death has again raised awareness of the disease, and the importance of visiting your GP for checks, if you experience symptoms.
What are the symptoms of Prostate Cancer?
The symptoms linked to prostate cancer do not usually appear until the prostate is large enough to become affecting the tube which carries urine from the bladder, through the urethra.
When this begins to happen, symptoms can include:
- Increased need to urinate
- A strained feeling when urinating
- Feeling like the bladder does not fully empty when urinating
Visiting a GP is recommended if any of these symptoms become apparent. Just because they are symptoms of prostate cancer, this does not mean that that will be the cause.
Who can get Prostate Cancer?
Prostate Cancer is not clearly linked to any preventable risk factors. Plus, no modifiable factors have been conclusively linked with prostate cancer. An individual’s risk of developing this cancer depends on various factors. These include genetics, age, and exposure to unavoidable risk factors.
However, if you are over 50 if your dad or brother has had prostate cancer or if you are black, you have a higher risk of getting prostate cancer.
PSA Testing: A blood test to help detect prostate cancer
PSA Testing measures a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. This test is one of the many ways, along with a rectal exam, that doctors can do to detect prostate cancer.
While it’s normal for men to have some level of PSA in their blood, a raised level can be a sign of prostate cancer. Although a raised level does not always mean an individual has prostate cancer, in fact, an abnormal result can have a few other causes.
If a PSA test is undertaken, it must be made clear to the employee that they should not worry. In fact, these tests help to identify prostate cancer early on, and can significantly improve the chances of recovery. There is an argument is that early detection means less evasive cancer treatment. Such as hormone medication and surveillance.
Acorn: Blood screening and PSA Testing
Blood screening at Acorn takes 15 minutes per person. Meaning we can complete blood screening for 28 employees in one day. This is completed by a registered nurse and once complete the blood samples are sent off to the lab to be tested.
There are 3 full blood count blood tests, noted below, which all have their own price. The below blood tests can be undertaken during our well-being medicals if requested.
JMJ3
Included:
- Full blood count
- Kidney profile
- Liver profile
- Lipid profile
- Cholesterol
- Glucose
- Uric acid
JMJ6
Included:
- Full blood count
- Kidney profile
- Liver profile
- Lipid profile
- Cholesterol
- Glucose
- Uric acid
- Phosphate analysis for females (calcium/osteoporosis)
Note: this blood sample has to be posted to the lab on the same day in order for the sample to remain valid. As, if the sample becomes invalid, the sample cannot be screened for the phosphate element
JMJP
Included:
- Full blood count
- Kidney profile
- Liver profile
- Lipid profile
- Cholesterol
- Glucose
- Uric acid
- PSA: prostate screening for males (recommended for males over 40)
What the blood screening includes:
- Full blood count: This checks the white and red cell count in the blood. White cell count can be an indication of many different diseases, including infection, viruses, leukemia, and other blood disorders. Red cell count can indicate anemia and other blood disorders.
- Kidney profile: Urea & Creatinine levels indicate kidney function.
- Liver profile: These tests are important to check whether the body is breaking down toxins. Levels indicated will identify the health of the liver of the person. If the liver is fatty, a person could be overweight, or that they drink too much alcohol.
- Lipid profile: Checking both good and bad cholesterol. This will indicate if a person has high cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease.
- Glucose: This can indicate if a person is developing, or is at risk of developing diabetes.
- PSA (males): This test will measure the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in the blood. These levels indicate early detection of prostate cancer.
Case Study – Urinalysis and PSA Health Screening
An employee was having their annual health surveillance screening and the urine test was positive for blood. The employee was referred for a review with his General Practitioner and he required further investigations. As a result, they were diagnosed with a bladder tumour, which was successfully treated.
Having the occupational health service enabled early detection of the tumour which otherwise did not show any other symptoms and allowed prompt and successful treatment for the employee.
Case Study – PSA Testing
One of our clients offers PSA blood tests to their male workers over the age of 45 years every other year. In the last 4 years, this test alone has detected Prostate cancer at an early stage in 4 of their employees.
This early detection has allowed for successful and less evasive cancer treatment and arguably has saved these employees’ lives.
Supporting employees’ health and well-being is a key focus area for Acorn Occupational Health and many of our clients. Although a PSA test is not mandatory, many companies now offer this to their male employees over 40 as part of a health promotion and wellness package.
Contact Us
For more information on our Health and wellbeing packages that include blood profile screening, please get in touch. Either call us at 01260 277797 or email us at website@acornoh.co.uk