Men’s Health

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common infection that usually occurs when bacteria enter the opening of the urethra and multiply in the urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), bladder, and urethra (tube that carries urine from the bladder).

Haematuria is a common condition and one which must be taken seriously. Haematuria simply means blood in urine. If you notice blood in the urine it should always be investigated, although in most cases no serious cause will be found.

As men get older it may become more difficult for them to achieve and/or maintain an erection. The anxiety created by this may be further exacerbated following cancer treatment. Damage to the erectile nerves due to the effects of radiation therapy or during surgery may cause a temporary or permanent loss of erectile function.

Urinary incontinence is the inability to control the flow of urine and is a common side effect of a number of Uro-oncology treatments, including surgery on the prostate and bladder as well Radiation therapy.

Urinary stones may contain various combinations of chemicals. The most common type of stone contains calcium in combination with either oxalate or phosphate. A less common type of stone is caused by infection in the urinary tract. This type of stone is called a struvite or infection stone. Much less common are the uric acid stone and the rare cystine stone.

Vesicoureteral reflux is common among children with anatomic abnormalities of the urinary tract as well as among children with anatomically normal but infected urinary tracts. In the latter group, reflux disappears with advancing age and is probably attributable to factors other than UTI. Long-term follow-up of children with UTI who have reflux has established that renal damage correlates with marked reflux, not with infection.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or benign prostatic hypertrophy is enlargement of the prostate gland. The word "benign" means the cells are not cancerous. "Hyperplasia" means an increased number of cells.

Cancer is a disease that results from abnormal growth and division of cells that make up the body's tissues and organs. Under normal circumstances, cells reproduce in an orderly fashion to replace old cells, maintain tissue health and repair injuries. However, when growth control is lost and cells divide too much and too fast, a cellular mass -or "tumour" -is formed.

The Kidneys are essential organs that form part of the genito-urinary system. The kidneys filter the blood and the waste products are transferred through the ureters to be stored in the bladder as urine. Urine is then discharged through the urethra to empty the bladder.

Your doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the condition of the prostate that lies close to the rectal wall. If your doctor feels something suspicious such as a lump or bump, further tests will be carried out. Other tests are needed to enable a more accurate diagnosis.

Bladder cancer is responsible for approximately 3% of all malignancies diagnosed in Australia each year. Bladder cancer is more common in men than women and typically affects people over 60 years of age.

Testicular cancer is a relatively rare form of cancer and accounts for only 1 percent of cancers in men; however it is the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 40. Nevertheless, testicular cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer, with cure rates approaching 100% if detected early.