If it wasn't for his family history, Jason Strange's prostate cancer may not have been caught so early.
The most common cancer in Australia affected his dad, grandfather and father-in-law.
With his wedding coming up the 43-year-old Wollongong local headed for a check-up in August 2022.
His blood tests came back with elevated PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels and his doctor referred him to a urologist.
An MRI scan followed and a biopsy sample was found to be cancerous.
"It's just fortunate that I decided to actually go see a doctor because like a typical guy I don't see doctors very often," he told ACM.
"If it wasn't for the family history I probably wouldn't have done it ... and I'd probably be in a different scenario than I'm in now."
Concerns over climbing prostate cancer deaths
New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has revealed a growing number of men are dying from prostate cancer.
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA), the data shows a 25 per cent increase in deaths from prostate cancer since 2007.
This is in part due to an "alarmingly high level of unawareness", according to PCFA head of research Professor Jeff Dunn.
"If we can diagnose all men at the earliest stage and ensure they have access to new medicines and care, we can beat this disease," he said.
"For men with a family history of disease we need to give much clearer guidance about their risks and screening options."
Only about 36 per cent of prostate cancers are diagnosed at stage one when it can be more effectively treated.
And with Australia's population ageing the number of men being diagnosed is expected to skyrocket.
PCFA chief executive Anne Savage said more than 3700 men will die of prostate cancer in 2023.
"With concerted action, many of these deaths can be avoided," she said.
"We hope to bring together government, health services and patients to create a new way forward."
'Cancer is a scary thing'
Jason's early diagnosis means for now the only thing he needs to do is regular blood tests to monitor his PSA levels.
"In one way I'm quite lucky because I was sort of on top of it and they've been able to pick it up at its early stages," he said.
"If anything starts to go the wrong way then we'll start looking at further treatment."
With his wedding and other things on his mind after he was diagnosed, Jason said the news immediately sunk in.
"It's only just been recently where I've had that time and that's when it's really hit home that cancer is a scary thing, especially at 43, 44, it's intense," he said.
The PCFA recommends men with a family history start PSA testing from the age of 40.
Those without a family history should start testing when they turn 50 and any man who has symptoms of the disease, such as frequent urination or difficulty urinating, should see a doctor immediately.
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, for information call 1800 22 00 99 or go to www.pcfa.org.au
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.
