If You're Over 40, It's Time For A Prostate Screening

Health & Medical Blog

Prostate cancer becomes a real concern for men starting at age 40. Nearly 1 out of 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, with 60 percent of those men being over age 65. The screening is simple, and with early detection and treatment, you can beat this disease. Here is what you need to know about this potentially deadly cancer.

A Disease with Few Symptoms

Don't wait for symptoms to show up before getting screened because many men develop prostate cancer with no symptoms at all. This is a slow growing cancer and you may have no signs of it until it becomes severe. Your urologist can test for it and determine the extent of the cancer cell growth. If left to grow, the cancer cells can spread to your lungs, bones, and lymph nodes. In later stages, it attacks your internal organs and there is little that can be done to reverse it.

Little Is Known About the Cause

Few factors have been discovered as the definite cause of this disease. Family history is one. A diet heavy in fatty, red meat is another factor for some men. For most men, this cancer just shows up for no specific reason. This is why screening is so important as you get older.

Common Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

If you do have symptoms from prostate cancer, they can look like a simple urinary tract or bladder infection. Some of the symptoms include:

• difficulty starting and stopping urination
• frequent urination of small amounts
• leaking urine when you sneeze or cough
• burning feeling when you urinate
• blood in your urine

Prostate Cancer Screening

Two tests are done to screen for prostate cancer which are often done together. Neither test alone gives a definitive diagnosis.

• Manual exam - The urologist feels your prostate gland with their finger through your rectum. If cancer cells are developing, the prostate will feel enlarged.
• Blood test - This will detect a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your bloodstream. Your body produces this in response to the developing cancer cells.

Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer

Your doctor may recommend one or more of these depending on how advanced the cancer is. The earlier the disease is detected, the more effective these treatments are in removing all of the cancer cells. Your treatment options include:

• Surgical treatment - This is to remove all or part of the prostate gland.
• Radiation therapy - This includes the use of an external beam of radiation directed at the prostate gland or tiny radioactive pellets placed into the prostate directly.
• Chemotherapy - This is a mixture of medications that targets the slow-growing prostate cancer cells.
• Hormone therapy - This reduces the male hormones in the blood that stimulate the production of prostate cancer cells.

The key to surviving prostate cancer is early detection. Once you turn 40, ask your doctor how frequently you should have a prostate screening. Don't wait for symptoms to appear, because it could be too late to cure the disease completely. For more information, contact a professional such as Dr. Matthew Bui.

26 June 2015