More than 4,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Ireland each year but although the average age for diagnosis is late 60s, it can and does occur in younger men, particularly those over the age of 50.
So when Martin Sweeney found out he had the disease after a routine PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test 10 years ago, he was totally unprepared.
“Getting the news in 2015 was a huge shock,” he said. “I was 49, very fit and active, and had no symptoms or other medical issues. The diagnosis came because of a PSA blood test and subsequent scans and exams, but fortunately, the cancer was contained within the prostate.”
The Dublin man, who is a retired local government official, said that he didn’t deal with the news very well and felt “confused, afraid and isolated”. And despite support from cancer support services such as ARC and the Marie Keating Foundation, as well as from his partner Wallace, the experience took a heavy toll on his mental health.
READ MORE
“I discussed things with my consultant, but I realise now that I may have rushed into deciding on treatment, without having all the facts in front of me, because all I could think of was getting the cancer out of my body,” he says.
“Crucially, I didn’t fully consider the impact that my treatment was going to have on Wallace, something I deeply regret. I opted for a radical prostatectomy, involving the removal of the prostate completely. This went well, and the cancer was successfully removed, which was a huge relief.
“But a few months after treatment, my mental health began to suffer. The after-effects of the surgery were much worse than I had expected, and I had difficulties with urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction, problems which unfortunately continue to this day. This also has had a significant impact on Wallace’s quality of life, and he has been amazing in how he has walked beside me all the way.”
Today sees the start of Blue September and the Marie Keating Foundation’s Stand Up for Your Prostate campaign, supported by Astellas in association with MSD. Their campaign encourages conversations to prompt men to take a simple first step: a chat with their GP about a PSA blood test.
“Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in Ireland with around 4,067 men diagnosed annually,” says Helen Forristal, director of nursing services at the Marie Keating Foundation. “One in six people born with a prostate will be diagnosed in their lifetime, with rates of prostate cancer higher in black men with one in four getting diagnosed with prostate cancer. Men are 2½ times more likely to get this cancer if their father or brother had it and inherited genes especially BRCA 2 – and being overweight or obese can also be risk factors to be aware of.
“However, prostate cancer responds well to treatment and, if detected early, it can be treated successfully, with over 93 per cent of men surviving.”
Mr Sweeney that after receiving medical treatment and counselling for depression, he can “honestly say that things are much better now”.
“I dedicate much of my time now to prostate cancer patient advocacy, involving myself in peer support, in raising awareness of unmet needs of patients and their partners,” he said.
