September Is The Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
September Is The Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
H&B Joins The Cause In Raising Prostate Cancer Awareness
While prostate cancer education is necessary year-round, the month of September is specifically designated as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. It's a time of year when health care experts and caregivers make an additional effort to raise awareness about prostate cancer and educate those who are at risk.
After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in men living in the US. Most prostate cancer is very slow-growing and often brings about a few to no symptoms until it is very advanced. While early detection can, of course, help to treat prostate cancer more thoroughly and effectively, there are mixed opinions about whether the benefits of prostate cancer screenings outweigh the risks.
What Is Prostate Cancer?
The prostate is a little gland found only in males, positioned below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate’s job is to create some of the fluid that makes up semen. Cancer can begin developing from overactive cell growth in the prostate. Most men with prostate cancer don’t experience any symptoms associated with cancer, though late stages of cancer will sometimes bring about signs and symptoms. Most men who develop prostate cancer discover it before it spreads to any other areas of the body, and its extremely slow growth rate leads to more successful recoveries from cancer than not.
About 1 in 9 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, but only 1 in 41 will die from the disease. Today, there are nearly 3 million men who have been previously diagnosed with prostate cancer but who are surviving and thriving despite that diagnosis. For those diagnosed with localized or regional prostate cancer (that is, cancer has not spread beyond the prostate or has only slightly spread to nearby areas such as lymph nodes), the five-year survival rate is nearly 100%.
The Importance Of Early Detection
Early detection is key to living prostate cancer-free, which is why the American Urological Association (AUA) and Urology Care Foundation are gearing up for September – Prostate Cancer Awareness month – to raise awareness about the disease and encourage men to know their risk and talk to their doctor.
"Next to skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men," said Dr. Shyamali Singhal, surgical oncologist and founder of H&B. "It is important for men to understand their risk of developing prostate cancer and to talk to their doctor about whether prostate cancer screening is right for them. Empowering men with educational tools and resources helps men make informed decisions about prostate cancer screening, care, and treatment."
Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
Other than age, possible risk factors for prostate cancer include family history and race. Almost one out of every nine men in the US will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. However, the chances grow to one out of six if they are African American, and one out of five if they have cancer cases in their family history.
Prostate cancer occurs more often in African-American men and Caribbean men of African ancestry than in men of other races. Prostate cancer happens less frequently in Asian-American and Hispanic/Latino men than in non-Hispanic whites. The reasons for these racial and ethnic differences are still not quite clear.
Prevention and Detection Of Prostate Cancer
Preventing prostate cancer is essentially about getting regular screenings done. However, there is some disagreement regarding prostate cancer screenings. The two most common prostate cancer detection tests are the PSA test and a digital rectal examination. The PSA test is a blood test that looks for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is a substance that your prostate makes. Elevated PSA levels may indicate cancer, but it can also mean something else that is far less concerning. If you elect to do a PSA test for your prostate cancer screening, know that a “positive” test result does not mean you have cancer, but you can expect your doctor to order more tests to confirm or deny an appropriate diagnosis.
The second test is what most men are more familiar with, and that is the digital rectal examination. A doctor will put a gloved and lubricated finger into the rectum and feel the prostate for abnormalities. While this test can be uncomfortable, it should not be painful and it shouldn’t last more than a few seconds. If your doctor suspects that something is unusual with your prostate, he may order more tests to explore it further.
Both of these prostate cancer screenings are rather swift and easy, but they can both bring about fallacious results. While minimal side effects are associated with both, they can lead to more tests with more severe possible side effects, which is why some doctors don’t recommend them for younger men or those without symptoms of prostate cancer. Especially since many men can live a normal and healthy life with untreated prostate cancer, it is seldom recommended to forego testing, particularly for much older men. Once men turn 50, it is recommended that they undergo either test to look for prostate cancer. Men with a family history of African-American men should be screened as early as age 40. It is important to note that sometimes, the risk of undergoing treatment or further testing can be more severe than the risk of living with prostate cancer. Consequently, it is essential to consider the risks and advantages of your distinct situation with your doctor.