Who is Prostate Cancer?
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Loading ...He can be any man.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men after lung cancer, affecting one in six men in the U.S.
He is rarely under the age of 40, usually over 50 and in fact two-thirds of all cases are diagnosed in men over 65.
60 to 61% of the time he is an African American male.
He is twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer if he has/had a father or brother with the disease. There is also an inherited gene for prostate cancer, affecting 5 to 10 % of all diagnosed cases. While research into genetic testing is promising, it is not yet available.
For more information on who is prostate cancer see the Prostate Cancer Foundation site.
The Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada offers a risk assessment quiz on their website.
Symptoms:
For information on early symptoms of prostate cancer please refer to Adrian Jones’ excellent post on this site.
Screening:
Men in the high risk category should begin screening at age 40. Routine screening should begin at age 50.
Screening will begin with,
Digital Rectal Exam-part of a regular yearly physical to exam the gland for changes.
PSA-Prostate Specific Antigen blood test-higher than normal levels may indicate a problem.
And may proceed to the following if your DRE and PSA indicate the need.
Ultrasound-A small probe inserted into the rectum will take pictures of the gland using sound waves.
Biopsy-Tissue samples examined by a pathologist for cancerous cells, also determines the staging of a cancer diagnosis.
Prevention:
The Mayo Clinic recommends a diet low in fat and rich in lycopene (the antioxidant in tomatoes), and regular exercise. They also suggest discussing the use of NSAIDs with your physician.
Treatment:
Treatment may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
The Prostate Calculator offers disease forecasts based on real patients and artificial intelligence
Resources for treatment include:
The Prostate Cancer Foundation
