Farmer Wants a Healthy Life
Farmer Wants a Healthy Life
Men's Business
In this episode we hear from Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse Mandy Johns. She shares her knowledge on things that increase the risk of this cancer, and how to test for it. She also shares her tale of getting into this role.
You can reach the Wimmera Cancer Centre at 5381 9169 or wimmeracancercentre@whcg.org.au.
Interested in the topic and looking for more?
Looking for some more information about prostate cancer? Check out the Health Direct and Cancer Council websites.
Do you have prostate cancer or know someone that does? Check out the Movemeber True North website. Here you will find lots of articles to inform and support you.
Mandy shared a few statistics, are you interested in finding out some more? Check out this page on Prostate Cancer in Australia.
Do you, or someone you know, currently have cancer of any kind? You may want to check out the Cancer Survivor Guide. It is a podcast series for those diagnosed with cancer, hosted by a cancer survivor. It shares a range of information on treatments and tips on how to the effects of them easier.
Mandy mentioned working with an urologist in the episode. Not sure what they do and want to know some more? Find it here.
Facebook: @FarmerWantsaHealthyLife Twitter: @_FWAHL
Men’s Business – Mandy Johns
Brigitte
This is a West Wimmera Health Service Podcast.
Hello, Brigitte Muir here. I am a storyteller who used to be a mountain climber, and I've been calling the Wimmera home for the last 40 years.
Mandy Jones is Horsham’s prostate cancer specialist nurse, I visited her at the brand new Wimmera Cancer Centre. I started by asking her a bit about herself, then I got on to that troublesome bit of the male anatomy, the prostate.
Mandy
I've been nursing for, around, about 30 years, probably the last 20 being community based roles. The previous role to this, was as a continence and stable therapy nurse so kind of Urology background, which is what led me to, to this role.
Brigitte
Have you always been based in Horsham?
Mandy
No, I've been in Horsham for about 12 years. Prior to that I was in Stawell just up the road for 10 years, I spent 12 months working in London. And… did a fair bit of travel over there which is my passion. And prior to that I was in Melbourne for a few years.
Brigitte
What brought you… to become a nurse specialising in prostate cancer. You told me that your background was in urology. Is that right?
Mandy
Broadly urology, specifically continence. So, through my continence role, which was also at Wimmera Healthcare Group, I would see a lot of prostate cancer patients come through the continence clinic, because that's a really common side effect, of prostate cancer, and prostate cancer treatments. So, I was already seeing some… of these patients and had a good relationship with our visiting urologist Mr. McMullin. So, it was kind of a, you know, a natural step.
Brigitte
Prostate cancer seems to be associated with, older man. Do younger men get prostate cancer as well?
Mandy
They definitely can. So, there's two … risk factors specifically and, and only two; one is advancing age, and two is a family history. The guidelines are particularly, if you have a genetic connection, to start screening from 40 years old.
Brigitte
How do people get tested these days?
Mandy
It's a blood test. And I think there's a bit of anxiety in general with men, because they associate, the…the PSA test to be a digital rectal examination. You know, they may end up having one of those at some point. But certainly in the screening process, it's simply a blood test.
Brigitte
Alright… if you don't have anyone in your family who has suffered from prostate cancer, what age should you start thinking, oh I better start thinking of asking my GP for one of those PSA tests.
Mandy
It's similar to the guidelines for bowel cancer, so from about 50, or between 50 and 60 years old. Your GP… could be offering you every two years to have your PSA test, but obviously if that PSA test comes back elevated, then they would have to have a discussion and possibly refer on to a urologist.
Brigitte
Those PSA what are they called when they at home? What does PSA stand for?
Mandy
Prostate Specific Antigens.
I have got statistics, just a couple, if you're interested. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. And it is the second most common cause of death from cancer in Australian men.
Brigitte
Is it because it's not caught early? My understanding is that with cancer if it's caught early, there was a better chance of survival. Could that be the case?
Mandy
Potentially, but there's also the complication… of the cohort of patients in this area being rural, and remote, and a lot of them are farmers. Actually, I had a conversation with my husband at lunchtime who was a farmer for 30 years, and I showed him you know, the background to this podcast and he said “that's fantastic. What a fantastic idea to make this information accessible to farmers because I can tell you, if 7 in 10 men would go to the doctor to have a general check-up, or a PSA check, probably 5 in 10 farmers would do so”. I guess it's a little bit about access as well, because obviously most farmers don't live in town, they live out of town. So, it's the distance thing, as well as access to GPS, particularly in Horsham and surrounds. We have a really transient GP population, which is problematic across the board.
Brigitte
Are there any advice that can be given about… diet?... everything really?…
Mandy
to prevent
Brigitte
to prevent or minimise the risk of getting prostate cancer
Mandy
Not really minimise the risk. As I said before, the two known risks, there are only two; one is advancing age, so I'm pretty sure most of us can't do anything about that. *laughter*
Brigitte
That's biological *laughter*
Mandy
And the genetic connection. So…
Brigitte
Ok
Mandy
Really, if you, if you are 40 plus and you have a genetic connection, or you know somebody in your family that has had prostate cancer, you need to have a conversation with your GP. Or if you're 50 and above, you also need to have that conversation. I'm not saying that everybody across the board from 50, needs to have a PSA test, but you just need to start that conversation with your GP. Compared to … this is a bit of a side note, but compared to a lot of other cancers, Prostate cancer is a very slow … growing cancer. So, that even if men are diagnosed, they obviously need follow up, but it's not nowhere near as aggressive as a lot of other cancers, like breast cancer or ovarian cancer, sometimes bowel cancer as well.
Brigitte
Not worth the risk it is easy enough to have a blood test and to…
Mandy
Look it really is and… another thing my husband said at lunchtime is “farmers if they travel into town, they're, you know, they're more than happy to go and have a conversation with someone about a tractor, or a header, or what have you. But most of them wouldn't worry about coming in for a blood test”. But really, if you have to do this every two years, then you know … come on, I think a blood test every two years blokes is okay.
Brigitte
It certainly is and your body is your most important piece of machinery on the farm, correct?
Mandy
Yes. *Laughter*
Brigitte
Excellent. So, if, if man want to have a blood test, they just go into their GP, get a referral for blood test for a PSA
Mandy
PSA test
Brigitte
Just go do it next time you take the wife shopping in Horsham.
Mandy
Correct. And if anybody would like any further, follow up, or information, or would just like to have a chat with myself, you can always contact me via Wimmera Cancer Centre.
Brigitte
That's great. Thank you so much Mandy.
Mandy
No worries
Brigitte
That was Mandy John's prostate cancer specialists nurse, you will find her contact details in the blurb linked to this episode.
Well, that's it for now. Thanks for listening people. And have a healthy life won’t you
Transcribed by https://otter.ai edited by WWHS Health Promotion
