TUESDAY, Sept. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) — It’s vital for men to be acquainted with the warning signs of prostate cancer and get screened since it’s the second-leading explanation for cancer death in men, an authority says.
While there will likely be greater than 288,000 diagnoses and nearly 35,000 deaths this yr, there are also 3.5 million American men who’ve the disease and are still alive.
Black men have the best death rate for prostate cancer of any racial or ethnic group. They’re twice as prone to die from it as white men are, in keeping with the American Cancer Society (ACS).
“Despite the alarming statistics regarding the disease, there are opportunities for prevention, early detection and treatment to enhance survival and survivorship, and to scale back the burden this cancer has across the U.S. and the globe,” said prostate cancer researcher Dr. Lorelei Mucci. She’s director of strategic research partnerships on the ACS.
Warning signs of prostate cancer can include urinary problems, equivalent to difficulty starting urination or urinating continuously. It may also include pain during ejaculation. The prostate is near each the bladder and the urethra.
These symptoms aren’t exclusive to prostate cancer, so it’s vital to see a health care provider to narrow down the cause.
Cancer that has grown beyond the prostate may cause hip or back pain.
“For most individuals, nevertheless, there are not any signs or symptoms indicating prostate cancer and the cancer is diagnosed with a biopsy following an abnormal blood test,” said Mucci, who leads an ACS initiative called IMPACT, or “Improving Mortality Toward Prostate Cancer Together.”
Anyone with a prostate can get prostate cancer. Black men are 70% more prone to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Getting older also increases risk.
Someone with a detailed male family member who has had prostate cancer or close female family member has had breast cancer could have an inherited genetic risk for the disease.
Maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking and being physically energetic will help to offset higher risks.
Prostate cancer treatment includes surgery often called radical prostatectomy (prostate removal) and certain types of radiation when the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the prostate.
Men whose risk of the cancer spreading is low could also be placed on energetic surveillance, during which a patient is closely monitored for signs of cancer progression.
With more aggressive disease, additional therapies include those that focus on hormonal pathways, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiopharmaceutical therapies.
“Actually, that is an exciting time in prostate cancer, with substantial progress in the invention and approval of recent therapies over the past 5 to 10 years, in addition to several other therapies being developed,” Mucci said in an ACS news release.
Screening is very important and the first test involves testing a blood sample for the extent of a marker called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Higher levels of PSA within the blood can mean prostate cancer, but it might probably also suggest an enlarged prostate.
Regular PSA screening can reduce prostate cancer deaths.
“An area of energetic research now could be aiming to do simpler screening approaches, targeting the lads who’re at the best risk of prostate cancer after which also safely letting people know they’ll screen less frequently,” Mucci said.
Men at average risk for prostate cancer should discuss the advantages and limitations of screening with their health care provider at age 50, the ACS recommends.
More information
Here’s more on prostate cancer.
SOURCE: American Cancer Society, news release, Aug. 30, 2023