The MOVEMBER movement was created by the Movember Foundation Charity. Movember is the contraction of "mo" which means "moustache" in Australian slang and "november" which means "November" in English. Originating in Australia, MOVEMBER has become a worldwide mobilization.
This event aims to raise public awareness of male diseases such as prostate and testicular cancer, but also of mental health and suicide prevention. As a reminder, testicular and prostate cancers are curable in almost 100% of cases if detected early. The point with one of our urologists:
What is the prostate?
The prostate is a male gland that is part of the male reproductive system. It is located in the pelvis, just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It has the shape and size of a chestnut.
This body will essentially have two roles:
One in the sexual pleasure of the man, by the contraction of muscle fiber and the other by the production of seminal liquid (called prostatic liquid) which represents a third of the volume of the sperm, it is important in the survival, the maturation and motility of sperm produced by the testicles.
What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It is estimated that around 50,000 cases per year in mainland France and Reunion around 300 to 400 cases per year. This tumor usually grows slowly, starting from cells of the prostate gland that have become abnormal. However, it is not the cancer with the most unfavorable prognosis: it is estimated to be the 5th most deadly cancer, which means that it is a cancer that can be treated rather well.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Very often, the symptoms of prostate cancer do not appear until the cancer is very advanced. At the beginning of the disease, there are therefore no symptoms. This is why it is very important to get tested, before the symptoms of the disease appear.
When should you get tested?
The French Association of Urology recommends getting screened individually from the age of 50. Even from the age of 45, if you have cases of prostate cancer around you, especially in a relative.
How to screen for prostate cancer?
You should get in touch with your attending physician and ask him for information about screening for prostate cancer. He will suggest that you take a blood test with a PSA level assay (Prostate Specific Antigen - Specific Prostatic Antigen: hormone secreted by the prostate). When it is high, it can point to prostate cancer. Subsequently, he will suggest that you meet with a urologist for consultation, so that a clinical examination can be carried out, including a digital rectal examination, which allows you to feel the prostate.
What are the treatments ?
There are many treatments for prostate cancer. This treatment will depend essentially on the degree of extension of this disease. You should know that at 5 years the survival rate, in someone who is diagnosed with prostate cancer, is greater than 95%. The most classic treatments are medical treatments, with hormone injections, surgery (the operation consists of removing the prostate affected by the tumor), radiotherapy. New treatments for this cancer are being evaluated. There are therefore plenty of possibilities adapted to everyone to treat prostate cancer.
As an indication, in 2019, the activity of the Reunion establishments of the Groupe de Santé CLINIFUTUR in the context of the management of prostate cancer reported 190 stays and 303 chemotherapy sessions. The average age of men treated is 67 years.
These figures show us that it is important to be screened, because the earlier the disease is diagnosed, the easier it will be to treat it, without having a significant impact on life.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR, GET TESTED!
Dr SLAOUI Hakim, Urological surgeon - Secrétariat : 02 62 48 61 30
VIDEO Interview Dr Slaoui Movember 2020
