Professor Shomik Sengupta describes prostate cancer in blunt terms. “It is a very common cancer,” he said. “It gets increasingly more common as men get older. It is pretty rare when men are in their 30s and 40s but starts to emerge in the 50s and becomes more and more common in the 60s, 70s and 80s.”
The Melbourne urologist was a guest on Chai, Chat and Community, the podcast hosted by Saleha Singh for The Indian Sun. The conversation was personal as well as medical. Singh shared that her father had been diagnosed 20 years ago, but because it was detected early, he lived long enough to see his granddaughters grow up. “Sometimes a simple conversation can save a life,” she told listeners.
Sengupta said too many men still avoid those conversations. “One of the biggest predictors of men seeking health care and one of the things that brings men to us to get tests for prostate cancer is a female member in their family. It is often a wife or a partner.”
The disease remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in men, with around 26,000 diagnoses in Australia last year and about 5,000 deaths. Sengupta explained the complexity. “Not every prostate cancer kills men. Only about one in five cases become fatal. Some prostate cancers are not going to cause any problems over 10, 20, 30 years and particularly for an older man those cancers are not something we want to find or treat because treatment is sometimes worse than the condition.”
He also pointed to the role of ethnicity and lifestyle. “There is a great deal of ethnic variation in prostate cancer. People of African heritage have quite a high rate of serious prostate cancer. Caucasians are next. Asia broadly and very much East Asia have a lower risk and South Asia falls somewhere in between. Asian men who move from Asia and live in a western country often get an increased risk perhaps not all the way approaching Caucasian men but certainly an increased risk compared to when they lived in their country of origin.”
Diet plays its part, though not always in the way people expect. “The greatest risk factor is probably earlier on in life, not at the point when the cancer has been diagnosed,” he said. “There hasn’t been a huge benefit shown in clinical trials but it does not hurt to live a healthier life. What’s heart healthy is prostate healthy.”
Detection is where the fight is won or lost. “The most common way we find early prostate cancer now is using the PSA test,” Sengupta explained. “Men at a certain age are advised to go and get a PSA test or at least talk to their GP. The age is 50 onwards for average men and from the age of 40 or 45 for those with a family history.” The test is subsidised by Medicare in Australia.
Alongside PSA, there is the dreaded digital rectal examination. “You can imagine the impact that the idea of a finger up the bum gives them. And that has been a major turnoff for men to actually go and have the check-up. But if we don’t do it at the beginning then we miss that one or two percent that can come about without a high PSA.”
Treatment, Sengupta said, is most effective when cancer is found early. “They can be treated with surgery. They can also be treated with radiation therapy. Both are good treatments for prostate cancer. Surgery and radiation broadly speaking are very high in their curability. We haven’t yet discovered the treatment that has 100 percent success or zero percent side effects.” Younger men are more likely to be recommended surgery, while older patients often receive radiation. “Some men might say, ‘Look, you’re never coming near me with a knife,’ and others are like, ‘Can’t you take it out? Isn’t that the best option for me?’ So it’s a case of what the patient wants as well, taken in the context of their overall health status and age.”
Support is another key factor. Sengupta pointed to the role of prostate cancer nurses and patient groups run by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. “Some of my men come back and say until I went to that group and found out there were another hundred men who had been through it and heard their stories, you feel like you’re alone. Once men start talking about it, then they say, ‘I didn’t realise.’ And I have found out five of my friends at the golf club have had treatment for prostate cancer.”
Asked what advice he would give to every father, brother or son, Sengupta was direct. “Think about and look after your health. Go to your GP on a regular basis and ask what are the things I should get checked and prostate should be amongst the list.”
Singh closed the episode with a reminder to her listeners: “Go talk to your dad, your brother, your husband, and ask when was the last time you had a check-up. Let’s normalise these questions. Let’s protect our families.”
Support independent community journalism. Support The Indian Sun.
Follow The Indian Sun on X | Instagram | Facebook
Support Independent Community Journalism
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun exists for one reason: to tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
We report on local councils, state politics, small businesses and cultural festivals. We focus on the Indian diaspora and the wider multicultural community with care, balance and accountability. We publish in print and online, send regular newsletters and produce video content. We also run media training programs to help community organisations share their own stories.
We operate independently.
Community journalism does not have the backing of large media corporations. Advertising revenue fluctuates. Platform algorithms change. Costs continue to rise. Yet the need for credible, grounded reporting in a multicultural Australia has never been greater.
When you support The Indian Sun, you support:
• Independent reporting on issues affecting migrant communities
• Coverage of local and state decisions that shape daily life
• A platform for small businesses and community groups
• Media training that builds skills within the community
• Journalism accountable to readers
We cannot cover everything, but we work to cover what matters.
If you value thoughtful reporting that reflects Australia’s diversity, we invite you to contribute. Every donation helps us maintain the quality and consistency of our work.
Please consider making a contribution today.
Thank you for your support.
The Indian Sun Team
