September is prostate cancer awareness month and men are being encouraged to do their prostate checks.
After age 40, men should make it their point of duty to do their prostate screens every year, up to age 75, as prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers found in men worldwide. Prostate cancer has the second-highest death rate of any cancer for men. One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. It occurs mainly in older men with about 6 in 10 cases diagnosed at age 65 or older; diagnosis before age 40 is rare.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said African American men are 61% more likely to develop prostate cancer compared to white men and nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease. According to the American Cancer Society about 220,800 new cases of prostate cancers are diagnosed each year, and there are about 27,540 deaths from prostate cancer annually.
Prostate cancer is curable and the key is early detection that can save lives. When prostate cancer is in its early stages and confined to the prostate, there are no symptoms and only consistent checks by an Androurologist would reveal the problem.
When the cancer gets out of control, it can affect a man’s sexual relations and can lead to issues like paralysis, erectile dysfunction, incontinence, or the passage of blood in the urine when it becomes very advanced and can’t be cured. At that stage only hormonal therapy can be used to treat it. However, this has significant side effects such as cardiovascular health and heart problems, weaker bones, hot flashes similar to menopause, and the possibility of gynaecomastia — enlarged breasts.
Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To avoid the consequences of a curable cancer like prostate cancer getting out of control, it is important to do the tests, which involve a yearly rectal examination as well as a blood test called the prostate specific antigen (PSA). If diagnosed early, prostate cancer can be cured using surgery or radiation.