Sam Newman in the clear after prostate cancer scare

Mar 9 2008

Doctors treating AFL sporting personality Sam Newman for prostate cancer have revealed the disease has not spread.

Urologist Laurence Harewood has said he is confident the operation was successful and the cancer has been 'cleanly' removed.

Newman, age 62 who has been something of a controversial figure in the media, was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a blood test three weeks ago and at the time it was suspected that the cancer may have spread.

Confirmation that no more cancer cells had been detected and treatment was progressing well has been the best news for Newman who has urged men to have the test for prostate cancer.

Surgeons at Melbourne's Epworth Hospital removed Newman's prostate gland and found the cancer was contained within the gland and had not spread.

Newman's cancer was revealed during routine blood tests, he had had no symptoms of the disease.

The Australian Cancer Council says prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and 85% of cases are diagnosed after the age of 65 years.

In Australia just over 13,500 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed each year and it is responsible for 2837 deaths; this equates to 32 new cases each day.

A healthy prostate is usually the size of a walnut and Newman's was reportedly twice this size.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) says all men aged over 50 need to have regular checks for prostate cancer every year.

The Foundation says there are very few symptoms of the disease in the early stages but if the cancer is detected early on it is often treatable and curable.