Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer in Australian men. Statistics are shocking, with one in six Australian men expected to have it diagnosed by the age of 85. Our recent research looked at the data for almost 26,000 Victorians diagnosed from 2009-2022. The ad spotlights what a difference early detection can make in improving breast cancer survival rates.
Mario Raspor, a 93-year-old man born in Croatia, exemplifies the potential for successful management of prostate cancer when diagnosed early. Mario received his diagnosis before the cancer spread, allowing him to undergo treatment that has proven effective over the years. He emphasizes the necessity of early testing, stating, “I said: ‘I’m going to do the test and see what happens’. That shows PSA was a bit high. Then I went on treatment, slowly.
The research, conducted by Dr Eli Ristevski, is the first to use such an approach to study prostate cancer. By catching the disease in its earliest stages, the survival rates were nearly 100%. The study found a huge gap in diagnosis by culture and language. As a result, men from these migrant communities are often diagnosed late. Indeed, immigrants from non-English-speaking nations are 17% less likely to face complex or high-risk conditions.
Data indicates that migrants who actively decide to speak a language other than English are at increased risk for negative health outcomes. They are 54% more likely to have a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer 10. Dr. Ristevski highlights this concerning trend, stating, “Men from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, particularly those who didn’t speak English as a first language, had more advanced disease at diagnosis.”
Dr. Richard Savdie, urologist, emphasizes the need for early diagnosis as a means to improve treatment and survival opportunities. He breaks it down, starting with the basic Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test that general practitioners can provide. “Once you detect prostate cancer at an early stage, your five-year survival goes up to nearly 100 per cent. Yet if you’re diagnosed with metastatic disease (advanced stage), your five-year survival drops dramatically to 32 per cent,” he adds.
The study’s results ignited the demand for culturally relevant health education programs. These initiatives are focused on increasing education, increasing awareness, and increasing access to these migrant populations. Dr. Ristevski makes the case for having community members participate in the design and delivery of these programs so that they are truly effective and create lasting change. He states, “By involving people from those communities within the development, design, implementation and evaluation of those programs, you’ll get better results.”
Mario’s own story as a prostate cancer survivor proves that proactive health management can save lives. Looking back on the years since his diagnosis, he admits, “I felt fear, that’s for sure. I’m not that strong to ignore that… That’s when I kick myself for forgetting that this wouldn’t be my life otherwise. I would simply deal with the moment when it arrived and departed. It’s almost 10 years later today, and I’m still around!
The American medical community is vigorously updating its approach to prostate cancer screening and treatment. Dr Ristevski is sure that these disparities are prevalent throughout the whole of Australia, and not just in Victoria. He argues that communities in every state and territory face issues with language access. These gaps in health literacy contribute to delays in diagnosis for a number of people.
