What Every Man Should Know About His Prostate
Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men. Each year in the United States, approximately 180,000 new cases of this disease are diagnosed. In the three (3) counties that make up the Region 7 Public Health Office (Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester), prostate cancer was the cause of over 160 hospital stays in 1999. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men resulting in approximately 31,000 deaths each year. Prostate cancer is twice as common among African-American men than it is among white-American men. Additionally, African-American men have the world's highest prostate cancer death rate.
Cause and Prevention
Since the actual cause of prostate cancer is unknown, it is currently not possible to prevent most cases of this disease; however, men can take steps to protect themselves. By learning to recognize the risk factors and the symptoms associated with this disease and by getting early screening tests, many cases of prostate cancer can be detected and treated before spreading to other areas of the body. Additionally, eating a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables may help men lower their chances of developing prostate cancer.
Risk Factors
A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease. The following is a list of risk factors for prostate cancer. Remember, many men develop this disease without having any of these risk factors. Likewise, men who have one or more of the risk factors may never develop this disease.
- Advancing age.
- African-American men have higher risk.
- Most common in men from North America and Northwestern Europe.
- High Fat Diet.
- Family history of cancer.
Symptoms
When prostate cancer is in its earliest stages there are generally no symptoms present. However, as the cancer expands and begins to spread to other parts of the body, the following may or may not be present.
- Hip or back pain.
- Inability to urinate or difficulty starting.
- Painful or burning urination.
- Blood in your urine.
- Early Detection
The earlier prostate cancer is found, the better the chances are that it can be treated. The most common tests used to detect prostate cancer are:
- Digital Rectal Exam (DRE).
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test.
Diagnosis
If the result of the PSA blood test or the DRE indicates a possibility of prostate cancer being present, your doctor will perform a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Additional tests to determine the stage and grade of the cancer will then be performed. Staging indicates whether or not the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Grading the cancer will indicate whether the cancer is fast growing (more likely to spread) or slow growing.
Treatment
The choice of treatment depends on several factors: the individual's overall health, age, life expectancy, the grade and stage of the disease, the effects of treatment, and personal preferences. Treatments include:
- Watchful waiting.
- Surgery.
- Cryosurgery.
- Radiation therapy.
- Hormone therapy.
- Chemotherapy.
Survival
Survival rates for all stages of prostate cancer have improved over the years and at least 89% of men diagnosed can expect to live at least 5 years from the time of their diagnosis and 63% survive 10 years. If the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate gland the 5 year survival is 99%.
Recommendations
- Eat a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables.
- All men should have the DRE and the PSA blood test yearly after age 50.
Men in high risk groups, such as African-American males and men with a family history of cancer, should begin these tests at an earlier age.
For more information about cancer, contact the Region 7 Office of Community Education at 795-6273.
Additional Resources:
American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/health/cancer.htm
National Cancer Institute: www.nci.nih.gov
For more information about cancer, contact the Region 7 Office of Community Education at 795-6273.