When a man hears the words, "You have cancer", he will experience many emotions. He may feel confused, scared, lonely, angry or sad, especially in the beginning as he tries to understand the disease and considers his treatment options. 

 

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 192,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States this year. The good news is that while prostate cancer is a very serious disease, it is treatable, especially if detected early. While no one knows the exact cause of the disease, we do know that one out of every six men will get prostate cancer during his lifetime. Prostate cancer has a 99 percent survival rate if caught early, before the cancer leaves the prostate.

 

Fortunately, education is a key component to beating the disease. Thanks to the latest advancements and effective technologies, there are several effective screening and treatment options. Screening tests are performed to determine the presence of abnormal or cancerous cells. There are various ways to screen for prostate cancer. Each method may be used alone, or in combination with another. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) – tests your blood for traces of PSA. The American Cancer Society recommends that men, over the age of 50, should have their blood tested yearly. Complementary to the PSA test, the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) – allows a doctor to physically examine the prostate for any lumps or hard places. Men, over the age of 50, should also have this procedure yearly.

 

Risk factors of Prostate Cancer include:

 

Age – the majority of prostate cancer is found in men over the age of 65.

 

Race – African-American men have greater incidence and death rates for prostate cancer.

 

Family history – the chance of developing prostate cancer rises when immediate family members have the disease.

 

Nationality – prostate cancer occurs more in North American and northwestern Europe. 

 

Diet – a diet that includes a lot of red meat and/or high-fat dairy products can yield a greater risk of prostate cancer.

 

Exercise – men over the age of 65 who do not regularly exercise may have increased risks of prostate cancer.

 

An interesting consideration is increased incidence of prostate cancer in African-American men. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in African-American men with the average annual prostate cancer incidence rate being up to 60 percent higher than in Caucasian men. Additionally, they have the highest mortality rate for prostate cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. African-American men and those with strong family history of prostate cancer are typically recommended to begin testing as early as age 45. 

 

Differences of opinion in the medical community about the benefits of screening tools such as the Prostate-Specific Antigen test can cause confusion about the decision to screen for prostate cancer and when to do so. A recent study published in the July 1 issue of Lancet Oncology highlighted the potential benefits of PSA screening. The study showed that prostate cancer mortality was reduced almost by half over 14 years. However, the risk of over-diagnosis and overtreatment were still deemed substantial. Even the National Cancer Institute lists risks of prostate cancer screenings on its website of information. The risks that were acknowledged include the occurrence of a false negative or false positive test results, a common consequence of a variety of screening tests. Also of concern is the fact that finding prostate cancer may not improve health or help a man live longer. 

 

In a contrasting view, last year, the American Urological Association decided to recommend that men begin undergoing prostate cancer screening at age 40 instead of age 50, which was the group's previous recommendation. The American Urological Association asserts that the PSA level in a man's blood is generally a good predictor of the risk of prostate cancer and the extent of the cancer. They also recommend that the decision to screen is one that a man should make with his doctor following a careful discussion of the benefits and risks of screening.

 

Regardless of differing opinions, let's open our minds to increasing our knowledge and understanding of a disease that can be diagnosed at early stages and treated successfully. The decision to take action in the fight against prostate cancer can be as simple as educating ourselves on the risks of the disease and keeping a dialogue with our healthcare professionals about individual needs for further evaluation of benefits and risks. This September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, let us open our hearts to celebrate the hope of a future where all men are aware of the disease and are informed of the benefits of being screened.