Who Is At Risk For Prostate Cancer
Certain men are at higher risk than others for prostate cancer, which may affect when they should start being screened. The risk increases with age, particularly after age 50. Some risk factors include:
- African American men are twice as likely as white men to develop the disease.
- Having a family history a father or a brother diagnosed with prostate cancer, particularly if it is at a relatively early age increases the risk.
- Having a family history of breast and ovarian cancer may also be associated with an inherited risk of developing prostate cancer
- High-fat diet and/or obesity
A Note About Sex And Gender
Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms male, female, or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. .
will depend on the cancer stage, among other factors, such as the Gleason score and PSA levels. It is also worth noting that many treatment options may be applicable, regardless of the stage of cancer.
In the sections below, we list some for prostate cancer and explore what treatment may mean for fertility.
Treatment For Prostate Cancer
How prostate cancer is treated? In cancer care different types of treatment options are available. Urologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists often work together to develop overall treatment plans that may combine different types of treatments.
Treatment options and recommendations depend on several factors, including the type of cancer, stage of cancer, possible side effects, and the patients overall health.
Active surveillance is always preferred for those with a very low risk of prostate cancer that can be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. The following testing should be done for active surveillance:
A PSA test every three to six months A DRE at least once a year and a prostate biopsy within 6 to 12 months.
Surgeries involve the removal of the prostate and some surrounding tissues and lymph nodes during the operation. The type of surgery depends on the stage of cancer and the patients overall health condition.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer And How Common Is It
Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylors announcement that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer is the latest reminder to millions of the importance of being on the lookout for this pernicious disease and its first symptoms.
The bands lead singer, Simon Le Bon, read out a letter from Mr Taylor as the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles on 5 November in which he said he was truly sorry and massively disappointed to miss the ceremony but had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer just over four years ago, reassuring fans that his his current condition is not immediately life threatening but that there is no cure.
Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease, and of course, we are no different, so I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade, Mr Taylor wrote.
The sad news follows the death of popular former BBC Breakfast host Bill Turnbull from the same condition on 31 August 2022, aged just 66.
Turnbull had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 and took a leave of absence from his Classic FM radio show in October 2021 to focus on his health, returning to the programme in August 2022 before dying at his home later that month.
In a 2018 interview with The Radio Times, Turnbull said he asked his doctor to stop treating him with chemotherapy after eight rounds, saying he couldnt bear it any longer.
What Are The Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
Some of the greatest risk factors for prostate cancer include:
- Age. Prostate cancer is very rare in men younger than 40 years of age. In contrast, approximately 60% of prostate cancer cases occur in men that are older than 65.
- Race. African-American men tend to be at greater risk for prostate cancer compared to non-Hispanic whites, whereas Asian-Americans and Hispanic/Latino men are less susceptible to this disease.
- Location. Prostate cancer is most common in North America, Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. It is rarer in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. This may be because of more intensive screening procedures for the disease in certain countries, although lifestyle factors such as diet could also play a key role in the difference.
- Family history. In many cases, there is a strong hereditary factor associated with the emergence of prostate cancer. In fact, men who have a father or brother with prostate cancer have a much higher risk of developing it themselves.
Other possible risk factors could include a dairy-rich diet, obesity, smoking, and exposure to harmful chemicals.
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What Are Prostate Tests And How Is Prostate Cancer Diagnosed
Tests which check for prostate cancer include:
- A digital rectal exam . In this exam, your provider feels your prostate for lumps or anything unusual by inserting a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum.
- A prostate-specific antigen blood test. A high PSA blood level may be a sign of prostate cancer. But many other things can cause high PSA levels, too.
- Imaging tests. These tests may use ultrasound or MRI to make pictures of your prostate.
If these tests show that you might have prostate cancer, the next step is usually a prostate biopsy. A biopsy is the only way to diagnose prostate cancer.
During a biopsy, a doctor uses a hollow needle to remove some prostate tissue. The tissue is studied under a microscope to look for cancer cells.
Lower Your Risk For Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is a serious disease, but early detection is key. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and when or if you should be screened for prostate cancer sometimes as early as age 40, if youre considered high risk.
Theres no way to eliminate the risk of getting prostate cancer, Dr. Weight says, but if youre at a higher risk for developing the disease, there are steps you can take to lower your risk.
- Get regular prostate screenings.
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Are There Yearly Recommended Screenings For Prostate Cancer
There are various schools of thought on when to begin prostate cancer screening and how often it should be done. The consensus is that all men should first have a conversation with a doctor about the risks and benefits of screening.
The American Cancer Society recommends that the discussion about screening should take place at:
- age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer
- age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer
- age 40 for men with more than one first degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 65
How Prostate Cancer Is Diagnosed And Staged
Cancer staging helps you and your doctor understand how advanced your cancer is and how much it has spread at the time of diagnosis. Knowing your cancer stage also helps your doctor determine the best treatment options for you and estimate your chance of survival.
The most widely used staging system for cancer is the TNM system that classifies cancer from stage 1 to stage 4.
TNM stands for:
- Tumor: the size and extent of the tumor
- Nodes: the number or extent of nearby lymph node involvement
- Metastasis: whether cancer has spread to distant sites in the body
The TNM scale is used for many types of cancer. When a doctor uses it to determine your prostate cancer stage, theyll consider several other factors as well, including:
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Stage 2 Prostate Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms for stage 2 prostate cancer often center around sexual and urinary problems. Each case is different, and people diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer may not experience all of these symptoms.
Sexual Problems
- Impotence – a man may have difficulty having an erection or maintaining an erection.
- Painful ejaculations
- Pain when urinating – a burning sensation may be experienced
- Blood in the urine
Signs And Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
Most prostate cancers are found early, through screening. Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. More advanced prostate cancers can sometimes cause symptoms, such as:
- Problems urinating, including a slow or weak urinary stream or the need to urinate more often, especially at night
- Trouble getting an erection
- Pain in the hips, back , chest , or other areas from cancer that has spread to bones
- Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet, or even loss of bladder or bowel control from cancer pressing on the spinal cord
Most of these problems are more likely to be caused by something other than prostate cancer. For example, trouble urinating is much more often caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia , a non-cancerous growth of the prostate. Still, its important to tell your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed. Some men might need more tests to check for prostate cancer.
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Changes You Shouldnt Ignore
Early-stage prostate cancer rarely causes symptoms but as the disease progresses, you may experience certain warning signs. Knowing the signs of prostate cancer will help you keep an eye out for any concerning changes to your health.
Keep in mind, though, these symptoms dont indicate trouble with your prostate, Dr. Weight says. In fact, almost all of them come standard with aging. But if you experience several symptoms or have other concerns, it may be a good idea to visit a urologist.
What Is Prostate Cancer
This diagram shows the location of the prostate, in front of the rectum and just below the bladder.
Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. When cancer starts in the prostate, it is called prostate cancer. Not including skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men.
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So What Are The Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
Unfortunately, there usually arent any early warning signs for prostate cancer. The growing tumor does not push against anything to cause pain, so for many years the disease may be silent. Thats why screening for prostate cancer is such an important topic for all men and their families.
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In rare cases, prostate cancer can cause symptoms. Contact your doctor for an evaluation if you experience any of the following:
- A need to urinate frequently, especially at night, some- times urgently
- Difficulty starting or holding back urination
- Weak, dribbling, or interrupted flow of urine
- Painful or burning urination
- Difficulty in having an erection
- A decrease in the amount of fluid ejaculated
- Pressure or pain in the rectum
- Pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, pelvis, or thighs
Remember: urinary symptoms dont necessarily mean you have cancer. Prostatitis or BPH are benign diseases but can cause similar symptoms and are very common.
What about difficulty in having an erection? Again, this is most likely not caused by cancer but by other factors such as diabetes, smoking, cardiovascular disease, or just plain getting older.
That said: Symptoms are symptoms, and no matter whats most likely to be causing them, you should get them checked out by a doctor.
Download or order your free copy of the Prostate Cancer Patient Guide now with COVID-19 Appendix.
Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
Some risk factors have been linked to prostate cancer. A risk factor is something that can raise your chance of developing a disease. Having one or more risk factors doesn’t mean that you will get prostate cancer. It just means that your risk of the disease is greater.
- Age. Men who are 50 or older have a higher risk of prostate cancer.
- Race. African-American men have the highest risk of prostate cancerâthe disease tends to start at younger ages and grows faster than in men of other races. After African-American men, prostate cancer is most common among white men, followed by Hispanic and Native American men. Asian-American men have the lowest rates of prostate cancer.
- Family history. Men whose fathers or brothers have had prostate cancer have a 2 to 3 times higher risk of prostate cancer than men who do not have a family history of the disease. A man who has 3 immediate family members with prostate cancer has about 10 times the risk of a man who does not have a family history of prostate cancer. The younger a man’s relatives are when they have prostate cancer, the greater his risk for developing the disease. Prostate cancer risk also appears to be slightly higher for men from families with a history of breast cancer.
- Diet. The risk of prostate cancer may be higher for men who eat high-fat diets.
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Prostate Cancer Stages: What You Need To Know
There are four prostate cancer stages, which refer to how quickly and how far the cancer has spread.
The stages are based on guidelines set by the American Joint Committee on Cancer .
To determine your prostate cancer stage, your doctor will perform a number of tests, including:
- Digital rectal exam, in which your prostate is felt for abnormalities
- A blood test to measure the amount of PSA thatâs circulating in your body
- A biopsy to extract cancerous tissue and grade how likely it will spread based on its appearance compared with normal prostate tissue
- Various imaging tests, such as computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans
- Bone scans to look for cancerous cells in bone
Genetic Testing For Prostate Cancer
You may hear a lot about genetics or genomics. Both terms are related to genes and cell DNA, but they are different. These tests are being used to learn more about the DNA of cancer cells, and link DNA mutations with treatments. In the future, genetic testing may be the first step doctors take when diagnosing prostate cancer.
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What Are 5 Common Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
In many cases, prostate cancer does not produce clear symptoms in its initial stages of development. In fact, many men may have prostate cancer without even realizing it. However, there are some common warning signs that could indicate a person has prostate cancer. Five of the most common ones include:
Of course, these five symptoms are not the only potential warning signs of prostate cancer. Other possible indicators could include weak urine flow, and unexplained pain deep in the groin area when sitting down. If cancer has spread beyond the prostate, a man may also suffer lower body swelling, abnormal urinary or bowel habits, or inexplicable weight loss.
It’s important to note that most of these symptoms are not unique to prostate cancer, and may indicate a different condition that is not life-threatening.
How To Avoid Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is primarily a disease of growing age, as you grow older the chances of prostate cancer increase. The question comes about how to prevent prostate cancer. There is no proven prostate cancer prevention technique but you can reduce the risk of cancer by making some healthy habits and choices. Healthy eating habits and daily exercise can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The treatment is very effective if you know about the warning signs of prostate cancer:
- Improve your diet, eat more fruits and vegetables
- Reduce fat intake and animal fat
- Maintain healthy weight
- Avoid charred meat
- Add green tea and soy
Men in the western world have much higher rates of prostate cancer than men in Asia. However, no one can predict the exact causes and phenomenon, experts suspect differences in diet and eating habits in eastern and western countries. Bad eating habits and diets that heavily rely on fats and animal proteins can cause changes in DNA and lead to prostate cancer.
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Stage 2 Prostate Cancer
In stage 2, the tumor is still confined to your prostate and hasnt spread to lymph nodes or other parts of your body. A doctor may or may not be able to feel the tumor during a prostate exam, and it may appear on ultrasound imaging. The survival rate is still .
The PSA score for stage 2 is less than 20 ng/mL.
Stage 2 cancer is further divided into three phases depending on the grade group and Gleason scores:
- Gleason score: 6 or less
What Should You Do If You Have The Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
If you are presenting one or more of the warning signs of prostate cancer, then it would be wise to promptly consult with a qualified physician. Your symptoms may indicate another, less serious condition and even if you do receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer, it is much easier to treat this disease when detected early on.
To learn more, contact our team of medical professionals at Care New England today.
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