What Age Should You Check For Prostate Cancer
Different organizations or healthcare organizations have varying answers, but, on average, screening should begin at age 50. If a man has increased risk factors such as strong family history, is Afro-American, or consumes a lot of red meat, he should be screened in his mid-40s. There is evidence that if the PSA is very low in the mid-40s, it does not have to be checked again for a number of years. If, however, the PSA is elevated, it should result in more careful screening in the subsequent years.
Can Prostate Cancer Be Prevented
Yes, prostate cancer prevention is possible and effective. Though there is no single strategy that ensures ways to prevent prostate cancer, a variety of precautionary measures can be successful.
Here are some expert-approved tips on how to prevent prostate cancer:
1. Load up on fruits and vegetables: A healthy diet filled with a range of fruits and vegetables is customary to prostate cancer prevention. Several studies have proved that the antioxidants present in these food items prevent damage to cells present in the prostate.
Red fruits such as tomatoes are rich in lycopene . Lycopene has been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Other fruits and vegetables that protect against this cancer are leafy greens such as spinach, beans, peas, blueberries, grapefruit, oranges and watermelon.
2. Consider taking vitamin supplements: Vitamins and minerals are essential to our overall well-being. They are regarded as significant in prostate cancer prevention guidelines.
However, maintaining a well-balanced intake of vitamins, minerals and proteins through natural means is not always possible. Supplements help us to compensate for any nutrient demand that has not been met.
3. Exercise most days of the week: The importance of exercise for cancer prevention is crystal clear. Irrespective of your body weight, you are advised to engage in physical activity regularly.
The Facts About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer occurs when some of the cells in the prostate reproduce far more rapidly than normal, resulting in a tumor. Prostate cancer often grows slowly to start with and may never cause any problems. But some men have prostate cancer that is more likely to spread. These prostate cancer cells, if left untreated, may spread from the prostate and invade distant parts of the body, particularly the lymph nodes and bones, producing secondary tumors in a process known as metastasis.
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Diet & Exercise Tips For Prostate Health
“What can I eat to reduce my risk of developing prostate cancer?” This is one of the most common questions physicians hear from men concerned about prostate health. Undoubtedly, many hope that their doctor will rattle off a list of foods guaranteed to shield them from disease. Although some foods have been linked with reduced risk of prostate cancer, proof that they really work is lacking, at least for now.
The Bottom Line: Be Proactive
Regardless of your diet but, really, keep it healthy! the best thing you can do is be aware of your personal risk factors for prostate conditions and consult with your doctor on how to monitor or address these. Some of the risk factors for prostate cancer include:
- Age: Men over the age of 55 are more at risk and over half of prostate cancer cases occur in men over the age of 65.
- Family history: Know which other men in your family have had prostate cancer and which women have had breast cancer.
- Obesity: Again, a healthy diet can have a big impact.
Besides regular exercise and a healthy diet, be sure to talk to your doctor about regular prostate screenings. Early detection is key, so keep these risk factors and potential symptoms in mind and consult your doctor regularly to put yourself in the best position for early detection.
Screening for prostate cancer is simple and only involves an office visit, physical exam and blood test. And its a condition that, if detected on routine screening, can often be treated and cured.
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What To Do About Prostate Cancer
A cancer diagnosis can be confronting, so finding health professionals who can help you understand the disease and its impact on you is important. There are many options for support5.
If you have symptoms of prostate cancer, this doesnt mean you have the disease. However, its important to talk to your doctor so they can rule out prostate cancer as the cause and help you manage whatever is causing your symptoms.
Even if you dont have symptoms, early-stage prostate cancer may be present. If youre concerned about prostate cancer, talk to your doctor about getting a PSA blood test, especially if you have a family history of prostate cancer.
Regular Exercise For A Healthy Prostate
Regular exercise may have a positive impact on mens health, reducing the risk of cancer. A study found that spending 25 minutes a day engaging in vigorous exercise, such as running, was found to reduce the risk of being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer by 30%. The prostate cancer tumor molecule, TMPRSS2:ERG, is sensitive to metabolic factors that are associated with not engaging in exercise, and this may be the link between this type of cancer and the effect that regular physical activity has on it. Even a low-to-moderate physical activity, such as walking, has a positive impact on prostate health. Scientists recommend engaging in physical activity at least 3-5 hours/week.
You can start by doing physical exercise 30 minutes/day. You can even break this period into 10 minutes intervals. You can include cardio exercises, stretching, and weight lifting. Be careful with those exercises that put pressure on the prostate. For example, if you choose cycling, make sure to have a comfortable saddle. Choose exercises that strengthen your pelvic muscles, such as Kegel exercises.
Even though it is not possible to totally prevent prostate cancer, there are important things that can be done to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer prevention includes lifestyle changes that will positively impact mens overall health and quality of life.
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Exercise And Prostate Cancer Prevention
Research has repeatedly shown that boosting your heart rate with regular exercise can lower your risk of getting prostate cancer by up to 20 percent. Of course, getting regular exercise is easier said than done.
Instead of watching football on TV, why not call up a few friends and go toss a ball around? Its infinitely more enjoyable than trudging off to the gym and a great way to catch up with the guys, too.
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Aim For A Healthy Eating Pattern
Instead of focusing on specific foods, dietitians, physicians, and researchers tout an overall pattern of healthy eating and healthy eating is easier than you might think. In a nutshell, here’s what experts recommend:
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What Do Psa Numbers Mean In Prostate Cancer
PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen and not prostate cancer-specific antigen. Therefore, the number needs to be taken in combination with other variables such as the size and feel of the prostate, the age of the man, and other risk factors. Very high PSA numbers, such as greater than 20, are an increased indication of prostate cancer.
What Is The Gleason Scale For Prostate Cancer
The Gleason score and/or scale are based on the appearance of cancer cells and how they are growing. When a pathologist looks at the cancer cells under the microscope, they will assign an evaluation or grade to the most common appearance and a second grade to the second most common appearance.
These two grades from one to five are then added together to create a score. For example, Gleason grade three plus four equals Gleason score of seven. The higher the score, the more aggressive cancers behaviour will be, and the prediction of the outcome becomes more accurate.
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Prostate Cancer Health Tips
If diagnosed early, many prostate cancers grow slowly and dont cause any health problems in men who have them.
If you decide not to get screened, you can always change your mind later. If you decide to get screened, it does not mean you have to go to the next step. You should discuss each step with your doctor.
Most prostate cancers found by screening are small and slow growing and may not be fatal. Some men may have a faster growing prostate cancer and will benefit from early treatment.
Older men, African American men, and men who have a family history of prostate cancer have a greater risk for developing prostate cancer. If you are concerned that you may have a greater risk for prostate cancer, talk to your doctor about screening.
What Types Of Treatments Are Used For Prostate Cancer
If youre diagnosed with prostate cancer, your doctor will help to develop a treatment plan thats right for your individual situation. Its possible that a combination of different treatment options may be used.
They may recommend something called expectant management if your cancer doesnt cause symptoms. During this time, they may monitor your cancer using a variety of tests. Treatment will begin when you develop symptoms or when test results find the cancer is growing.
Other potential treatment options can include:
- Surgery. If you only have cancer in your prostate, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove the tumor or your prostate.
- Radiation therapy. In radiation therapy, high energy radiation is used to kill cancer cells.
- Cryotherapy. During cryotherapy, a special probe is used to freeze and kill cells in your prostate, including cancer cells.
- Hormone therapy. This treatment focuses on blocking hormones that can encourage cancer growth.
- Chemotherapy.Chemotherapy drugs can kill cancer cells or slow down their growth.
- Immunotherapy.Immunotherapy harnesses your immune system to help treat prostate cancer. A type of immunotherapy called sipuleucel-T may be used to treat some types of prostate cancer.
- Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy blocks the activity of certain proteins on or in cancer cells. Drugs called PARP inhibitors may be used to treat some types of prostate cancer.
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What Are The Other Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
In addition to some of the factors weve discussed above, there are several other known risk factors for prostate cancer. These include:
- Age. Your risk of prostate cancer increases as you get older. According to the ACS, around
- more common in African American men. More research is needed to determine why.
- Geographic location. Its unknown exactly why, but prostate cancer is more common in regions of the world like North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Australia.
- Genetic changes. Some inherited genetic changes, such as those in genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, may boost your risk of prostate cancer. Additionally, men with an inherited condition called Lynch syndrome are also at a higher risk.
Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer doesnt usually cause symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease.
If symptoms do occur, the most common ones are lower urinary tract symptoms , such as a weak urine flow or frequent need to urinate2. However, these are also symptoms of benign enlargement of the prostate, so if you have any of these symptoms, it doesnt mean you have prostate cancer.
Symptoms of prostate cancer that has spread commonly include pain in the pelvis, hips, back and ribs.
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Body Weight Physical Activity And Diet
The effects of body weight, physical activity, and diet on prostate cancer risk aren’t completely clear, but there are things you can do that might lower your risk.
Some studies have found that men who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of developing advanced prostate cancer or prostate cancer that is more likely to be fatal.
Although not all studies agree, several have found a higher risk of prostate cancer in men whose diets are high in dairy products and calcium.
For now, the best advice about diet and activity to possibly reduce the risk of prostate cancer is to:
- Get to and stay at a healthy weight.
- Keep physically active.
- Follow a healthy eating pattern, which includes a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and avoids or limits red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and highly processed foods.
It may also be sensible to limit calcium supplements and to not get too much calcium in the diet.
To learn more, see our American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention.
What Are Some Of The Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer And Are There Lifestyle Or Diet Changes That Can Lower Someones Risk
Orio: Approximately one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, and it accounts for nearly 10% of all newly diagnosed malignancies among men. Prostate cancer is rare in men younger than 40, and the chance of having prostate cancer rises drastically after age 50.
African American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer have an increased risk compared with other men. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer nearly doubles a mans risk of developing this disease.
Fefer: Age, African American race, and first degree relative with prostate cancer are known risk factors for prostate cancer. There is ongoing research about the influence of diet on the risk of getting prostate cancer but there are no conclusive results that can be applied at the present time.
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Study Data And Findings
Investigators reviewed data from 143,886 men who were treated for localized prostate cancer at Veterans Affairs medical facilities between 2000 and 2015. The men ranged from 60 to 71 years in age, and came from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Among them, 52,886 were treated with radiation within a year of being diagnosed. The other 91,000 men opted either for surgery over a similar time frame, or chose to have their cancers monitored and treated only when or if routine exams showed signs of progression.
After a median follow-up of nine years, 3% of the radiation-treated men had developed secondary cancers, compared to 2.5% of the men who chose other options. The four most common cancers in the order of how frequently they were detected were bladder cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and rectal cancer. The risk of developing these secondary cancers increased steadily with time, peaking five to six years after radiation treatment was finished.
Dr. Oliver Sartor, an oncologist at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans who was not involved in the study, says the potential for secondary cancers is an important issue that men should discuss with their doctors when evaluating treatment options.
Things You Cant Change: Age Race And Genes
Prostate cancer is primarily a disease of aging. As you get older, your chances of developing prostate cancer increase. Race and genetics also play a significant role. If you are African American, your chances of developing prostate cancer are double those of white American men. If your father, brother or multiple blood relatives had prostate cancer, you are more likely to get it, too.
Preventing prostate cancer might be difficult if you have these risk factors, but screening early and often can help ensure that if you do get cancer, its diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
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What Are The Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, the following risk factors are associated with prostate cancer:
Age: Age is the strongest risk factor for prostate cancer. The chance of getting prostate cancer goes up quickly after a man reaches age 50 and nearly two out of every three prostate cancers are found in men over the age of 65.
Race: Prostate cancer is more common in African-American men than in men of other races. African-American men are also more likely to have a more advanced disease when it is found and are more likely to die of the disease. Prostate cancer occurs less often in Asian-American and Hispanic/Latino men than in non-Hispanic whites.
Nationality: Prostate cancer is most common in North America and northwestern Europe, and less common in Asia, Africa, Central and South America. More screening in some developed countries may, in part, account for this.
Family history: Men with close family members who have had prostate cancer are more likely to get it themselves, especially if their relatives were young when they developed the disease.
Genes: Scientists have found some inherited genes that seem to raise prostate cancer risk, but they likely account for only a small number of overall cases.
Diet: Men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products may have a greater risk of developing prostate cancer. These men also tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Doctors are not sure which of these factors causes the risk to go up.