As October came to an end, the campaign for Pinktober to raise awareness about breast cancer also came to a close. But as we entered November, people might start to notice that men are growing moustaches. Why? Because it's Movember - prostate cancer awareness month. The initiative started off some 10 years ago in Australia and now men all over the world grow a mo during November to raise awareness about one of the leading killers in males.

Prostate cancer, like breast cancer, is very treatable. There are a wide range of options, ranging from chemo to laser and full removal of the gland.  But it must be caught early. If left too long, it can spread to the bones in the pelvic region, and once that happens, survival rates dip drastically.

The worrying thing about prostate cancer is that it shows no outward signs. While women can check their breasts, men cannot do the same with the prostate as it is inside the body. There are, however, ways to test for it. The most simple approach is a blood test to identify whether the pathogen is in the body. A visit to a private clinic and the test costs about €50. If the levels of PSA (the substance that indicates cancer is present) is out of the normal bracket, then the patient would be sent for a colonoscopy and perhaps a biopsy.

The worrying thing is that a trend is establishing itself. Men who are younger than the normal bracket of about 50 years of age are now being diagnosed at the age of about 40. There is no scientific explanation as to why just yet, but it is happening. Prostate cancer is a devil unto itself. In older men, the process is a much longer one as the cancer feeds on the testosterone that the gland itself produces. In younger men, who are more virile, more testosterone is produced, so it causes the cancer to grow aggressively. In such cases, removal of the prostate gland itself is usually the path to go on. For a full prostectoctomy, patients have to be taken to the UK for surgery. In such cases, they often find the help of the Puttinu Cares Foundation which offers accommodation and support to Maltese families who might have to spend a week or more there. This cancer is beatable and it is treatable. But with the men having a propensity to forget or ignore their state of health, more awareness needs to be raised. The incidence of this form of cancer is on the increase, and the age of those being afflicted is becoming younger and younger. The official line with this disease is: " If everything seems normal, get a check up." Prostate cancer has no symptoms. Men must actively seek to identify it and treat it at the earliest possible opportunity.