Kolkata, 27th November, 2018: Marking ‘No-Shave November’month Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah conducted press conference to create awareness about elderly men’s health issues with focus on Prostate Disease & Prostate Cancer.The press conference was attended by Dr. Abhay Kumar, Consultant Urology &Uro-Oncology, Dr. Suman Mallik, Clinical Director andChief of Radiotherapy, Dr. Sayan Das, and Consultant Radiation Oncology along with the survivor of Prostate cancer.
The main purpose behind “No-Shave November” month is a unique way to raise cancer awareness. The goal of No-Shave November is to grow awareness by embracing hair, which many cancer patients lose. The entire month participants grow their beard and donate the money they usually spend on shaving and grooming to educate about prostate cancer prevention& early detection.Keeping that on mind men staff and doctors of NSH, Howrah grew their beard the whole month of November.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Abhay Kumar, Consultant Urology &Uro-Oncology said, “Over 85 percent of the cancer can be cured by medicine while 10 to 15 percent require surgery. Benign Prostatic enlargement is a normal physiological process in which prostate size grows with age, commonly after 40 years, and may cause symptoms like Lower Urinary Tract”.The andropause syndrome is very prominent in men undergoing hormonal ablation therapy for prostate cancer. Symptoms are side effects of hot flashes, anemia, depression, cognitive decline, a decreased overall quality of life, sexual dysfunction, and osteoporosis with subsequent bone fractures. Andropause is a condition that is associated with the decrease in the male hormone testosterone. It is unlike menopause in that the decrease in testosterone and the development of symptoms is more gradual than what occurs in women.
The Main objective behind the conference was to spread awareness about men’s health issues everyone talks about women health but rarely anyone talks about men health problems, we all know about Menopause but we hardly know about Andropause.
Speaking on the occasion,Dr. Sayan Das, Consultant Radiation Oncology said, “We at NSH, Howrah commemorate No-Shave November to raise awareness about Prostate cancer. The risk of developing prostate cancer was related to age, genetics, race, diet, lifestyle, medications and other factors. With regular screening and by training, the prevention measures of life style modification in a wide scale through proper way can alter this peak cancer scenario in a positive direction. According to The Indian Council of Medical Research prostate cancer is the second leading cancer among males in large Indian cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram; third in cities like Bangalore and Mumbai.”
The incidence rates of this cancer are constantly and rapidly increasing in all the PBRCs. The Indian Council of Medical Research projection data shows that the number of cases will become doubled by 2020.
Dr. Suman Mallik, Clinical Director and Chief of Radiotherapy, said, “With increase in life span of average Indian, now we are having a large elderly population and with increasing awareness healthcare infrastructure more & a greater number of Prostate Cancer are being diagnosed & treated.Previously prostate cancer was common in Western countries, but today, this is more common in India, with highest cases in metro cities. Problem, with this cancer is that despite signs and symptoms of prostate enlargement many patients think that they are having urinary frequency, urinary hesitation and ignore them. According to Globocan, 2018 report shows Prostate is among the top ten leading cancers in India. As per the present investigation, done by Science Alert Publisher prostate cancer rate was climbing with 5.71% in Eastern India. The alarmingly high incidence in elder males particularly from 51-70 years age group is partially because of ignorance. The current rate of Prostate cancer is 28.97% in West Bengal.”
