Amidst the events surrounding breast cancer, Rotarian Michael Ferrier gave a presentation to the Rotary Club of St. Maarten on Prostate Cancer.
Ferrier a prostate cancer survivor since 2005 had documented the entire procedure.
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed form of cancer in men and the third most deadly type. However it usually grows slowly while the survival rate when detected early is high. The prostate is a small gland located in front of the rectum and below the bladder. It makes a fluid that forms part of the semen. While in the early stages there are no symptoms as it develops the symptoms may include an urgency to urinate, difficulty urinating and pain in the pelvic region. Screening can be done by having a blood test done, which in Ferrier’s case is what led him to suspect that he had the decease. Signs of prostate cancer can also be detected with a digital Rectal Exam. If the results of these tests, suggests that there is a problem, then biopsies can be taken to determine to diagnose prostate cancer. The medical technology has advance tremendously with respect to detection and treatment that “Caribbean” man should be less reluctant to have themselves tested and treatment is not always necessary.
In conclusion, the speaker said: “most men die having some level of prostate cancer, but most men don’t have to die of it”.