Before Prostate Cancer Screening Give Men Information To Make An Informed Decision

By Calvert County Health Department

Calvert County Health Department

. http://www.calverthealth.org/

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Before Prostate Cancer Screening Give Men Information To Make An Informed Decision

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. One in 33 will die from the disease. In its Cancer Facts and Figures 2011, the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that 5,060 men in Maryland will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 710 will die from it in 2011. In the U.S., approximately 240,890 men will be diagnosed and 37,660 will die from it in 2011.

The main risk factor for prostate cancer is age. The chance of a man getting prostate cancer increases with age with over 60% of prostate cancer diagnosed in men over the age of 65 years. Other risk factors are race and family history. Prostate cancer disproportionately affects African American men who are, according to the ACS, more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage of prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die from it as white men. Men with a family history of a father or brother with prostate cancer are also more likely to have prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer screening is done with a blood test that looks at the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA). It also includes a digital rectal exam (DRE) where your doctor feels the prostate gland with a gloved finger. Most health insurance will pay or help pay for the cost of these tests. Men may benefit from having a baseline PSA at age 40 or 50, depending on race and family history, with the frequency of PSA testing thereafter based on the baseline PSA level.

Prostate cancer may cause no symptoms at all or may cause blood in the urine, the need to urinate frequently (especially at night), weak or interrupted urine flow, pain or a burning feeling while urinating, and constant pain in the lower back, pelvis, or upper thighs. Men should consult with their health care provider if any of these symptoms occur.

Although it is not yet known how to prevent prostate cancer, the key behaviors in cancer prevention non-smoking, healthy diet, physical activity, and healthy weight can help to lower the risk of many types of cancer, while also reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

For more information about prostate cancer, visit

www.calverthealth.org

or call the 24-hour line of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Information Specialist at

1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345).