Cancer - FAQs

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Cancer is a disease of the cells in the body, which caused the cells to become abnormal and multiply out of control. Some cancers are more severe than others and therefore some are more easily treated than others. This is particularly true if the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage. In each case, it is important for your doctor to investigate the type of cancer that has developed, as well as how large it is and whether it has spread. This will determine treatment options and the prognosis (outlook) for the patient.

 A malignant tumour is a lump of tissue made from cancer cells that continue to multiply. Malignant tumours can invade into nearby tissues and organs, causing damage. They may also spread to other parts of the body and this happens if some cells break off from the primary tumour and are carried to other areas of the body in the bloodstream or lymph channels. These cells may then multiply to form secondary tumours (metastases), which may then grow, invade and damage nearby tissues, before spreading again.

Prostate cancer is caused when cells in the prostate multiply and grow out of control to form a mass or tumour. It is a very variable disease. Some tumours remain small and grow so slowly that they cause no problems for the rest of a man’s life; others are aggressive, grow quickly and become life-threatening.  Many of these aggressive cases will eventually spread to the bones, where they can cause severe pain. 

About 30 to 40 Fijian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. 

Fiji is ranked 79th country with the highest prostate cancer cases by WHO. 

Main symptoms include:

• difficulty passing urine
• inability to urinate
• passing urine often (particularly at night)
• weak or interrupted urine flow
• pain when urinating
• blood in the urine
• pain in the lower back, hips and upper thighs

However, all of these symptoms can also be caused by other conditions such as benign prostate enlargement.

There are no known causes for prostate cancer. However, between 5% and 10% of cases run in families, where the patient inherits a high risk of this type of cancer. 

Prostate cancer is very rare in men under 50. The risk increases after the age of 50 with half of all cases occurring in men over 70. Men from families with a history of prostate cancer are at higher risk than normal. 

• Digital rectal examination – by inserting a gloved finger into the back passage your doctor can actually feel the prostate gland, to find out whether it has any lumps or is larger than it should be. An enlarged prostate is very common in older men and this does not usually mean that it is cancerous.
• PSA blood test – if the level of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) in your blood is too high, this indicates that something is wrong with the prostate. There are several conditions which can raise the PSA levels. Only about one in three men with a raised PSA are found to have prostate cancer.
• Ultrasound Scan– a small probe is inserted into the back passage and used to do an ultrasound scan, showing the exact size of the prostate.
• Biopsy – the definitive test is done by taking a tiny sample of tissue (a biopsy) from the prostate. A probe is inserted into the back passage and a small hollow needle jabbed into the prostate itself. Studying the tissue sample taken by the needle can determine whether there is a tumour and how aggressive it is.
• X-rays – If a tumour is found, an X-ray can reveal whether the cancer has spread.