It seems appropriate to me that the word Doctor originally meant teacher. For explaining a diagnosis and then helping my patients understand all their treatment options is perhaps the most critical part of my mission. And it is not all one way, since no doctor can design the best and most appropriate care plan without listening to and understanding their patient. The relationship I form with a patient means that decisions reached are the best ones for them.
I will not favour any treatment modality unless it is genuinely indicated by the medical evidence and the patient’s circumstance. And, in general, I believe that minimally disruptive treatments are preferable if they have the same proven outcomes as more complex ones.
Experience and research has shown me that these are the ways to maximise the wellbeing of patients, during and after treatment. And that has always been my first priority.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to affect Australian men. Over 3000 men in Australia die of prostate cancer every year. It is generally a slow growing cancer but there are forms of it which are more aggressive and grow and spread more quickly. The incidence of prostate cancer increases with age but it can be diagnosed in men as young as 35. It most commonly affects men over 50.
Most men are diagnosed before they have any symptoms because they have an abnormality on examination or an abnormal PSA blood test
Kidney cancer affects both men and women, but men are twice as likely as women to be diagnosed with it. It is the 9th most common cancer in Australia and 2700 people a year are diagnosed with it. The average age at diagnosis is 63.
The most common form of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma which affects the solid component of the kidney. There is a much less common form of kidney cancer which arises from the collecting system which is called Urothelial cell carcinoma of the kidney.
Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in men and is twice as prevalent in men than women. It most commonly occurs over the age of 60 but can occur at any age. The majority of bladder cancers are Urothelial carcinomas which form in the lining of the bladder. These make up 90% of bladder cancers. Other rare forms of bladder cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Thankfully, the majority of bladder cancers are low grade, non invasive or superficial tumours. For a better understanding of bladder cancer, its symptoms, diagnostic tests and support available, a full PDF version of the booklet I reviewed and revised is linked below.
Kidney stones are common affecting 1 in 500 adults every year. 7% of men and 3% of women will have a kidney stone at some time in their life. Stones can occur at any age but once you have had a single stone you are far more likely than the general population to get another one. Almost all stones form in the kidney and then pass to the ureter where they cause symptoms.
Difficulties voiding and increasing lower urinary tract symptoms in males are common and increase with age. These can be due to changes in the prostate and the bladder or more rarely neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease or Multiple Sclerosis.