Safescreen Home Test Kits

Although the annual death toll from Prostate Cancer has doubled over the past 20 years in the UK, it receives little press attention and there is no national Prostate Cancer screening program. Prostate Cancer receives 1/50th of the funding that breast cancer receives. Whist there are 40,000 deaths due to breast cancer annually, 27,000 men, more than half the number of breast cancer fatalities, die from prostate cancer in the UK every year.

Early prostate cancer does not always cause recognizable symptoms, therefore it is advisable to use SafeScreen’s home prostate cancer test to screen for raised prostate-specific antigen (PSA) annually. A raised level of PSA is one indicator that a man has prostate cancer. Taking a test gives a clear indicator of whether there is a need for any further medical investigation.

The SafeScreen Home Prostate Health allows you to perform a prostate screen in the privacy of your home in just 10 minutes. This is the most effective method currently available for the early detection of prostate cancer - it could make an immeasurable difference to your life.

Am I at risk of Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is rare in men below 40 years of age. It is a wise precaution to test ourselves regularly as we get older. Prostate cancer differs from most other cancers, in that small  cancer masses within the prostate are very common and may remain dormant for quite some time before they progress and need treatment. Early prostate cancer doesn’t always cause recognizable symptoms, but symptoms may include any off the following:

• Need to urinate frequently, especially at night
• Difficulty to urinate; hold back urine or an inability to urinate
• Weak or interrupted flow of urine
• Painful or burning sensation during urination
• Painful ejaculation
• Blood in urine or semen
• Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs

What is the Prostate

The prostate is a small gland about the size of a walnut, positioned just beneath the bladder. It is responsible for producing fluids that nourish and protect sperm.

Sadly, 27,000 British men die of prostate cancer every year, so it is a disease that needs to be taken very seriously. Prostate cancer generally takes a long time to progress and it can take 10 years before it is detected. However, some men have a particularly aggressive form of the disease, and the disease can grow and spread more quickly. The cancer has a great tendency to grow on the outside edge of the prostate and can therefore easily break away from the gland itself. Once it does this, it tends to migrate, almost exclusively, to the bones including the hip bones, lower spine and ribs.

Prostate-specific antigen or PSA is a substance made by the prostate gland which naturally leaks into the bloodstream. PSA is exclusively found in the tissue of normal, benign prostatic hyperplasia and cancerous prostate tissue. A raised PSA level can be due to conditions such as enlargement of the prostate gland, prostatitis or a urinary infection. However, it can also be an early indicator of prostate cancer. Studies confirm that the presence of PSA is the most useful and meaningful tumour marker or indicator known for prostate cancer.

Since we do not routinely screen for prostate cancer in the UK, the disease is very often detected only when it has spread from the prostate gland to other parts of the body.

The test itself takes seconds to perform and requires the pricking of a finger for a blood sample. You are able to interpret test results in exactly 10 minutes.

What are the Symptoms of prostate cancer?

Men with early prostate cancer may be without any symptoms. But since the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder) passes through the centre of the prostate gland, any growth within the gland will cause pressure on the urethra, causing difficulties in passing urine. These can include:

• More frequent need to pass urine
• Delay or hesitancy before urinating
• Waking from sleep to pass urine
• Dribbling of urine
• Weak stream with difficulty starting and stopping

It is important to stress that most men with these symptoms do not have prostate cancer. Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland affects over half of all men over the age of 60.
Less common symptoms of prostate cancer can include:

• Blood in the urine or semen
• Pain deep in the pelvis between the penis and back passage
• Pain in the back, hip or leg
• Inability to get or maintain an erection

What Causes prostate cancer?

The exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, though there are some factors that are thought to increase the chances of you developing prostate cancer. These inlude:
• Diet. It is important to note that eating a well balanced and healthy diet generally is better for you. It has been observed that vegetarians are half as likely to develop cancer as meat eaters
• Selenium and Lycopene Several very large studies have shown that both selenium and Lycopene reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Lycopene is a substance obtained from processed tomatoes and selenium is a mineral
• Genetic factors. There seems to be a slightly higher risk of developing prostate cancer if your father or brother have had prostate cancer
• Geographical differences. People living in the Far East have an extremely low risk of developing prostate cancer compared with those who live in Western countries such as America and Britain

The following items are not thought to be a cause of prostate cancer:

• You cannot catch prostate cancer through sex, nor can you infect your partner with prostate cancer
• Smoking is not linked to the occurrence of prostate cancer
• Vasectomy was once thought to predispose men to prostate cancer but this is no longer considered to be the case

How do I Perform the Test?

As with all SafeScreen’s home test kits, everything you need to carry out and interpret a test is included with your order. The test for Prostate Cancer can be performed discretely, in the privacy of your home by following the easy step by step instructions. Results are available in minutes rather than the days or weeks normally required to obtain laboratory results.

Everything needed to carry out a test for prostate cancer is included in the kit with clear instructions. A pin prick of blood is all that is required to perform the test and results are available in minutes. PSA is a protein in your blood secreted by the prostate gland. The level of this protein rises when there is prostate cancer present. Elevated levels (greater than 4ng/ml) may be an important symptom of possible prostate disease.

There are several tests for diagnosing cancer of the prostate: a rectal examination, ultrasound, a biopsy and a blood test. No one test on its own is conclusive. Remember, this test will not diagnose prostate cancer but can give an idea of the state of the prostate gland, prostate glands which are enlarged, as a result of another condition or old age can also produce more PSA.
 
All orders for SafeScreen tests received before 4.15pm are dispatched the same day. Your test kit will be delivered discretely in plain, unmarked packaging with no indication of the contents inside the box. Boxes are then posted inside a secure mail bag to ensure your complete privacy.

What if I test positive?

If you test positively for a raised level of PSA, you must consult your doctor for further tests and confirmation of these results. Levels of PSA rise with age, and can be raised due to something unrelated to prostate cancer. It is very important to emphasise that the presence of symptoms and elevated levels of PSA does not necessarily mean you have prostate cancer.

Prevention

Several studies have shown a link between eating vegetables and a reduced risk of prostate cancer, such as dark green and cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli and cauliflower that are known to contain anti-cancer compounds. However, men that eat a lot of broccoli and cauliflower may be healthier in general, as this may typify lifestyle their choices. Whilst waiting for definitive evidence it's clear that possibly the best way to reduce your risk of contracting many cancers is to be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Treatment & Prognosis of Prostate Cancer

Please remember, if your results indicate a high level of PSA it does not automatically mean that you have prostate cancer, raised levels of PSA are an indication of the state of the prostate gland, other conditions and old age can also produce more PSA.

If, after further investigations, you are diagnosed as having prostate cancer, the treatment you receive will depend on your age, general health, the type of cancer and also if it has spread. The following are the main types of treatment:

• Watchful waiting
No treatment, some prostate cancers grow slowly and may not require any treatment however you will need regular PSA tests to make sure that the cancer hasn't started to grow or spread
• Prostatectomy
The whole prostate is removed, the prostate gland is not essential to life but you may suffer from impotence and incontinence after surgery
• Radiotherapy
High energy ionising radiation may be used to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours. Radiotherapy can be given from outside or from inside the body by inoculation with an appropriate radiopharmaceutical
• Hormone therapy
 It is known that testosterone helps prostate cancer to grow and spread; lowering the level of testosterone can shrink the cancer or prevent it from growing

Some men have a particularly aggressive form of the disease which can grow and spread more quickly. Prostate cancer has a great tendency to grow on the outside edge of the prostate gland and can therefore easily break away from the gland itself. Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the gland grow in an uncontrolled way, causing a tumour to develop. As the disease progresses, cancer cells break away from the prostate gland and spread to other parts of the body, particularly the bones including the hip bones, lower spine and ribs.

 Early Pregnancy Testing Kits | Home Cholesterol Test | Home Menopause Test Kits | Drug Testing Kit | Home STD Testing Kits | Home Gonorrhea Testing | Home Chlamydia Test Kit | Home Ovulation Testing Kit | Home HIV Testing Kits | Home Syphilis Test