Newly re-elected MP Barnaby Joyce has revealed he has prostate cancer.
The veteran Nationals member representing New England and ex-deputy prime minister has announced that he is in the initial phase of a disease and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow.
He is urging other men to get checked.
(The Sydney Morning Herald)
Joyce said he was diagnosed after a prostate-specific antigen test by his GP, which indicated something was wrong.
He then had scans and a biopsy.
He said the cancer was caught at an early stage.
“If I thought it was very serious, of course I’d resign, but my doctors or surgeons say, ‘You’re very lucky you’ve got it early’,” he told the ABC
Joyce, who recently shared images of his campaigning activities on social media, mentioned that the election campaign served as a “welcome distraction,” which is why he chose not to disclose his diagnosis at that time.
According to the federal government, prostate cancer ranks as the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in Australia and is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85, with 18,000 cases a year.
However many cases can be successfully treated.
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Symptoms of prostate cancer include:
- A need to urinate frequently, especially at night
- Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine
- Weak or interrupted flow of urine
- Painful or burning urination
- Difficulty in having an erection
- Painful ejaculation
- Blood in urine or semen
- Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs
