TERENCE LEE reports
For Mind Your Body (Straits Times)
25 July 2008
By the time they hit 80, one in two men in Singapore will have an enlarged prostate gland.
Only men have this organ.
Senior consultant urologist Associate Professor Chia Sing Joo gave the figure during a Prostate Awareness Month 2008 press conference last week.
This prostate disease - medically called Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) - if left untreated, can lead to complications like bladder stones and even renal failure.
If detected early, it can be treated with medication alone.
Delays will worsen the disease and surgery might then be needed to remove part of the prostate gland, said Prof Chia, who is from Tan Tock Seng Hospital's general surgery department.
Survey results show that 44per cent of men did not visit the doctor despite experiencing symptoms of BPH for at least six months.
The survey was conducted with 480 men above 50 who attended a prostate awareness forum on July 5.
However, Dr Fong Yan Kit, chairman of the Prostate Awareness Month and consultant urologist at Raffles Hospital, said the actual nationwide percentage could be even higher as those at the forum are most likely already aware of the issue.
'This is just the tip of the iceberg,' he said.
A common misconception is that the symptoms - such as a constant urge to urinate - are part of ageing.
Said Associate Professor Kesavan Esuvaranathan, president of the Singapore Urological Association: 'The men think it is normal. All their buddies have it, so it's okay. They think it's just like their hair turning white, nothing to worry about.'
About half of those who went to see a doctor about urinary issues already have their lives disrupted by it, the survey also revealed.
'Elderly men who want to enjoy their retirement and play golf or go on vacation with their spouses will find it tough because they have to constantly visit the loo,' said Prof Kesavan.
Their sex lives may also be affected.
Also, having a family history of BPH and lifestyle habits like lack of exercise, smoking, drinking and a diet with high fat content could increase a man's chances of getting the disease.
There is also another reason men experiencing symptoms associated with the disease should see a doctor early: it may be a sign of prostate cancer, the third most common cancer among men in Singapore, said Prof Chia.
'Symptoms of BPH and prostate cancer are almost indistinguishable - you can't really tell one from the other,' he said.
As part of the Prostate Awareness Month, the Singapore Urological Association is organising a series of subsidised prostate examinations this month. The subsidised rate is $8 for men aged between 50 and 75.
The full cost ranges from $30 to $65, depending on the hospital.
The remaining screening exercises are scheduled as follows:
Tan Tock Seng Hospital, today, 9am to 4pm
Changi General Hospital, tomorrow, 9am to 4pm
Singapore General Hospital, Friday, 9am to 4pm
This is the fifth year the Prostate Awareness Month has been running.
