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Be responsible and book your cancer test with your doctor today

Do not let the Covid-19 pandemic postpone your cancer testing

CELEBRATE World Cancer Day tomorrow (Thursday) by booking an appointment with your doctor for a mammogram, Pap smear or prostate check, as it could save your life.

Early detection is key to having a good shot at beating cancer.

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World Cancer Day is an international day marked on 4 February, which aims to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.

Prostate cancer can be beaten if detected early, with data showing that early detection results in a 95% chance of survival.

In Africa and South Africa, a staggering 80% of patients present with advanced prostate cancer symptoms, a statistic far exceeding that seen in more developed countries.

For men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is less than 30%.

Prostate cancer sits on the outside of the prostate, so it takes a long time before you notice any symptoms.

Only if you pick it up early with PSA testing and a digital rectal examination, can it be treated successfully and cured.

What many people don’t realise is that all men will eventually get prostate cancer if they live long enough.

About half of these cases are not going to be troublesome, but the other half need treatment.

If you have immediate relatives such as siblings, parents or children with breast cancer or prostate cancer, you are also at about a five times increased risk of developing prostate cancer – and it may be more aggressive.

Another important fact is that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second most common cause of male deaths from cancer.

All men over the age of 45 must be screened annually.

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