1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:13,413 Speaker 1: from News Talks, that'd be we are. 3 00:00:13,373 --> 00:00:15,613 Speaker 2: Well and truly into the second half of September now, 4 00:00:15,613 --> 00:00:19,053 Speaker 2: I think it's actually almost very nearly spring by anyone's media, 5 00:00:19,173 --> 00:00:21,293 Speaker 2: including our man in the Garden. We'll asking very shortly. 6 00:00:22,133 --> 00:00:24,693 Speaker 2: But giving it September, it means it is Prostate Cancer 7 00:00:24,733 --> 00:00:27,573 Speaker 2: Awareness Month, Blue September. Doctor Brian Betty's with us this morning. 8 00:00:27,653 --> 00:00:29,893 Speaker 3: Kilder Cuder, Good morning Jack. 9 00:00:30,013 --> 00:00:32,293 Speaker 2: So why is Blue September so important? 10 00:00:33,613 --> 00:00:37,053 Speaker 3: Look, it is incredibly important. It's a campaign that propots 11 00:00:37,093 --> 00:00:40,933 Speaker 3: awareness around prostate cancer and raises money for the Prostate 12 00:00:41,013 --> 00:00:44,293 Speaker 3: Cancer Foundation. So men do things like We're Blue. They 13 00:00:44,293 --> 00:00:47,493 Speaker 3: get sponsorship for going on runs, or riding on bikes 14 00:00:47,573 --> 00:00:49,533 Speaker 3: or jumping out of aeroplanes, whatever it is. But it's 15 00:00:49,573 --> 00:00:52,293 Speaker 3: to raise money. But the key thing about it is 16 00:00:52,333 --> 00:00:55,933 Speaker 3: to think about prostate cancer and to talk about it 17 00:00:55,933 --> 00:00:58,933 Speaker 3: with your GP right now. There's some key reasons for this. 18 00:00:59,453 --> 00:01:03,133 Speaker 3: Prostate cancer is one of the commonest cancers in New Zealand. 19 00:01:03,373 --> 00:01:06,573 Speaker 3: About four thousand men a year are diagnosed with it, 20 00:01:06,813 --> 00:01:09,853 Speaker 3: About one in eight men over a lifetime will develop it, 21 00:01:10,053 --> 00:01:12,453 Speaker 3: and more than six hundred men will die a year 22 00:01:12,453 --> 00:01:15,453 Speaker 3: from it, so it's incredibly important. And the key thing 23 00:01:15,493 --> 00:01:20,173 Speaker 3: here is early detection of prostate cancer can means early 24 00:01:20,213 --> 00:01:23,813 Speaker 3: treatment and that can sometimes mean cure. So most occure 25 00:01:23,893 --> 00:01:26,373 Speaker 3: of the age of fifty. Something that we do do 26 00:01:26,493 --> 00:01:29,013 Speaker 3: need to think about and really really important with this 27 00:01:30,013 --> 00:01:33,053 Speaker 3: blue septender to think about prostate cancer and men. 28 00:01:33,333 --> 00:01:36,173 Speaker 2: So what does the prostate actually do and what are 29 00:01:36,173 --> 00:01:37,773 Speaker 2: the things we need to kind of look out for 30 00:01:38,013 --> 00:01:39,813 Speaker 2: other than obviously getting regular checkouts. 31 00:01:40,293 --> 00:01:43,373 Speaker 3: Yeah, sure, look, Look it's the prostate's a gland. It's 32 00:01:43,373 --> 00:01:45,813 Speaker 3: about the size of a walnut and it just sits 33 00:01:45,853 --> 00:01:49,333 Speaker 3: around the output to the bladder. So little tube that 34 00:01:49,453 --> 00:01:52,333 Speaker 3: leads urine passes through when you go for a pee, 35 00:01:52,693 --> 00:01:55,653 Speaker 3: and it just wraps around that. Now, it produces fluid 36 00:01:55,653 --> 00:01:58,573 Speaker 3: for sperms. So it's got a very very specific task. 37 00:01:59,133 --> 00:02:01,693 Speaker 3: But as we get older men, As men get older, 38 00:02:01,733 --> 00:02:07,053 Speaker 3: it naturally increases in size and occasionally cancer can develop it. Now, 39 00:02:07,053 --> 00:02:09,773 Speaker 3: if it increases in size, it starts to produce symptoms. 40 00:02:09,813 --> 00:02:12,653 Speaker 3: Now those can be like passing urine a lot, getting 41 00:02:12,653 --> 00:02:15,573 Speaker 3: at night to go for a p feeling suddenly like 42 00:02:15,613 --> 00:02:17,933 Speaker 3: you need to go to the toilet, or you notice 43 00:02:17,933 --> 00:02:20,933 Speaker 3: a weaker urine stream or when you go for a 44 00:02:20,973 --> 00:02:24,253 Speaker 3: p Now, if you notice any of these symptoms at all, 45 00:02:24,373 --> 00:02:26,653 Speaker 3: it's really really important you go to your GP and 46 00:02:26,733 --> 00:02:29,213 Speaker 3: have a chat about it. Because there's a very very 47 00:02:29,213 --> 00:02:32,533 Speaker 3: simple blood test. We do call it a PSA and 48 00:02:32,573 --> 00:02:34,773 Speaker 3: we may do a rectal examination as well. But the 49 00:02:34,773 --> 00:02:37,853 Speaker 3: PSA if that's slightly elevated, may mean a problem with 50 00:02:37,933 --> 00:02:41,653 Speaker 3: prostate cancer and it needs further investigations. So very very 51 00:02:41,693 --> 00:02:42,933 Speaker 3: important to take that step. 52 00:02:43,133 --> 00:02:46,933 Speaker 2: Okay, I'm thirty eight, so I'm sort of creaking into 53 00:02:48,173 --> 00:02:50,053 Speaker 2: what I think we can all agree is probably middle aged. 54 00:02:50,453 --> 00:02:53,133 Speaker 2: But when should we be getting regular prostate checks if 55 00:02:53,133 --> 00:02:54,213 Speaker 2: we don't have any symptoms. 56 00:02:54,693 --> 00:02:57,773 Speaker 3: Look, look, the reality is most prostate cancer occurs over 57 00:02:57,773 --> 00:03:01,093 Speaker 3: the age of fifty. So look, there is no screening 58 00:03:01,133 --> 00:03:04,013 Speaker 3: program in New Zealand for prostate cancer. Now. The reason 59 00:03:04,053 --> 00:03:06,893 Speaker 3: for that is there's no evidence that have actually does 60 00:03:07,013 --> 00:03:12,413 Speaker 3: produce results that short that improved outcomes. Although having said that, 61 00:03:12,453 --> 00:03:14,613 Speaker 3: there's a very big study going on in Europe at 62 00:03:14,613 --> 00:03:18,173 Speaker 3: the moment to see whether it would be a benefit. However, 63 00:03:18,573 --> 00:03:21,493 Speaker 3: as a GP, what I generally recommend my men is 64 00:03:21,533 --> 00:03:23,493 Speaker 3: from the age of fifty that you come and have 65 00:03:23,533 --> 00:03:25,133 Speaker 3: a chat or we get you in to have a chat, 66 00:03:25,573 --> 00:03:28,933 Speaker 3: and we will do a PSA check every year from 67 00:03:28,933 --> 00:03:31,133 Speaker 3: that time onwards, just to check what's happening with your 68 00:03:31,173 --> 00:03:34,293 Speaker 3: prostate and if there's any problem developing. Again, go back 69 00:03:34,293 --> 00:03:37,773 Speaker 3: to that basic principle that earlier you pick up a problem, 70 00:03:38,013 --> 00:03:40,893 Speaker 3: the more you can do about it. So look, look, look, look, 71 00:03:40,893 --> 00:03:43,373 Speaker 3: I think if you are concerned because you've developed symptoms 72 00:03:43,493 --> 00:03:46,373 Speaker 3: or you've reached the age of fifty, please please come 73 00:03:46,373 --> 00:03:49,173 Speaker 3: along and have a chat with your GP and talk 74 00:03:49,173 --> 00:03:51,493 Speaker 3: about whether a prostate check would be right for you. 75 00:03:51,613 --> 00:03:53,973 Speaker 2: Yeah, and if you do have symptoms, don't delay right, 76 00:03:54,053 --> 00:03:56,253 Speaker 2: get on to it quickly. Is the kind of key point. 77 00:03:57,653 --> 00:04:00,453 Speaker 3: I can't stress it enough, you know, symptoms really sort 78 00:04:00,453 --> 00:04:02,333 Speaker 3: of say look, you need to jump in and do something. 79 00:04:02,373 --> 00:04:04,173 Speaker 3: And look, nine times out of ten there won't be 80 00:04:04,373 --> 00:04:07,413 Speaker 3: a problem like prostate cancer. But it's that one time 81 00:04:07,413 --> 00:04:10,093 Speaker 3: out of ten that you need to jump onto it. 82 00:04:10,213 --> 00:04:12,013 Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, Hey, thank you so much, Brian, really 83 00:04:12,053 --> 00:04:14,253 Speaker 2: appreciate it as always. Have a great rest of your 84 00:04:14,253 --> 00:04:15,053 Speaker 2: blue September. 85 00:04:16,893 --> 00:04:17,773 Speaker 3: Thanks very much. Jack. 86 00:04:18,053 --> 00:04:20,293 Speaker 2: That is doctor Brian Bett, resident doctor. 87 00:04:20,853 --> 00:04:23,933 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame listen live 88 00:04:24,013 --> 00:04:27,213 Speaker 1: to News Talks' b from nine Am, saturday or follow 89 00:04:27,253 --> 00:04:28,813 Speaker 1: the podcast On iHeartRadio