Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths and the second-most-common cancer in men. The American Cancer Society estimates the disease will strike more than 190,000 men this year and cause more than 33,000 deaths. But doctors say many lives can be saved with annual screenings. Sound familiar? There is similar information shared every October for breast cancer awareness. “It's the men’s equivalent of breast cancer in women – the caveat being: It’s not as lethal as breast cancer,” said Dr. Gideon Lorber, a UPMC urologist who sees patients at UPMC Somerset. “It is definitely something that we would like to screen for,” he said. Dr. Gideon Lorber SUBMITTED PHOTO The prostate is walnut-sized a gland that produces some of the fluid that carries sperm. Located below a man’s bladder, it surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine passes out of the body. Screening for prostate cancer begins with a simple blood test to check levels of prostate...

MARQUETTE, Mich. (UPHS) - UP Health System – Marquette joins in recognizing Men’s Health Awareness Month this November, also known as “Movember.” UP Health System – Marquette is urging men to take charge of their prostate health this month and throughout the year. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, with more than 183,000 new cases diagnosed each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). When it comes to men’s health, screening for prostate cancer regularly should be a top priority. Detect Disease Early with Regular Check-ups and Exams According to research from the CDC, women are more likely than men to visit the doctor for annual exams and preventive services. Regular check-ups with a primary care physician could help flag issues – even those that are not as obvious – before they become a real problem. Prostate cancer can be detected early through regular screenings. This is particularly important for more at-risk populations, such as men ...

From this CPD module you will learn: The risk factors and prevalence of prostate cancer The presentation of symptoms in prostate cancer How prostate cancer is diagnosed Available treatment options for different stages of prostate cancer Download a printable PDF of this module – including the five-minute test – here.  Take the exam The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that sits under the bladder and around the urethra. Its functions include producing a thick white fluid that mixes with sperm from the testicles to create semen, and contracting its muscles during sexual intercourse to propel the semen into the urethra for ejaculation.(1) The prostate is only found in men, transgender women (the prostate is usually conserved after surgery), non-binary people

"Movember" (held in November) marks a month-long campaign to raise awareness for men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. In Singapore, prostate cancer ranks as the third most common cancer affecting men (according to statistics from the Singapore Cancer Society). Symptoms of prostate cancer The most common symptoms of prostate cancer include: Weak or interrupted flow of urine Frequent urination (especially at night) Difficulty urinating Pain or burning during urination Blood in the urine or semen Nagging pain in the back, hips, or pelvis Painful ejaculation Elevated levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) “However, the same symptoms may also occur in men with benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) also known as prostate gland enlargement. Therefore, it is important to seek the advice of your doctor whether additional testing is required when such symptoms arise,” explains Clinical Assistant Profess...

Micrograph showing prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma (the most common form of prostate cancer) Credit: Wikipedia Men undergoing active surveillance for prostate cancer have very low rates - one percent or less—of cancer spread (metastases) or death from prostate cancer, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Urology , an official journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). "In the long-term, active surveillance is a safe and viable option for men with low-risk and carefully selected intermediate-risk prostate cancer," according to the report by senior author Peter R. Carroll, MD, MPH, of University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and colleagues. During active surveillance, prostate cancer is carefully monitored for signs of progression through regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, prostate exams, imaging and repeat biopsies. If symptoms develop, or if tests indicate the cancer is more aggressive, active treatment such as surg...

TTHealthWatch is a weekly podcast from Texas Tech. In it, Elizabeth Tracey, director of electronic media for Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Rick Lange, MD, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, look at the top medical stories of the week. A transcript of the podcast is below the summary. This week's topics include household transmission of COVID, monoclonal antibodies for treatment of COVID, kindergarten preparedness and long term benefits, and active surveillance for Black men with low risk prostate cancer. Program notes: 0:59 Monoclonal antibodies for treatment of COVID 1:58 Antibody prevented hospitalization in many 2:57 Cost less than hospitalization? 3:40 Kindergarten readiness 4:40 Reduction in odds of being overweight 5:40 Need resources invested in preschool 6:44 Household transmission of COVID 7:44 75% of secondary infections within 5 days 8:42 Wear a face mask even within households 9:40 Active surveillance among Black men wit...

Often there are no symptoms early in the disease progression. Some later symptoms include pain in the bones; difficulty with starting and maintaining a steady stream of urine, dribbling of urine, excessive urination at night, frequent urination, urge to urinate and leaking, urinary retention, or weak urinary stream; men can also suffer from erectile dysfunction when they have prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among male VA patients. The disease is usually found in its early stages and often grows slowly. Most men live with the cancer for decades without symptoms and die of other causes even without early surgery. But some cases of prostate cancer metastasize and lead to death. Millions of men have gotten a “Gleason score,” which is used almost universally to predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. Dr. Donald Gleason, who served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, devised the scoring system in the 1960s while working at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. The Gleason score has long been considered the most reliable indicator of the potential for prostate cancer to grow and spread. It helps provide a prognosis and guide treatment and is a reference standard in clinical trials testing new therapies. `Every prostate cancer patient knows his Gleason score’ “Every prostate cancer patient knows his Gleason score,” Dr. Bruce ...

On this page: BasicsTreatment DecisionsActive SurveillanceSurgeryRadiationHormone TherapyChemotherapyTargeted Therapy You’ve just been told you have prostate cancer. Or, maybe someone you love has. That’s frightening, and no doubt you’ll want to know what’s coming next. The good news? We’re here for you, ready to explain your many treatment options—because there are plenty of them, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and more. And if you need an extra dash of hope right now, know that most men—we’re talking a solid 98%—live at least 10 years following a diagnosis of this disease. In fact, some men never need any treatment at all. Keep reading. We’ll tell you all we know. First, What Is Prostate Cancer, Again? Your prostate is located in front of your rectum and below your bladder. This one-ounce, walnut-shaped gland helps produce semen, that milky fluid that carries sperm through and then out of your penis when you ejaculate. It gets some ...

Men of low socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to present with metastases when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa) and are at higher risk for having advanced or aggressive PCa discovered at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP), according to recent studies. 1,2 In addition, men of lower SES are less likely to undergo RP or external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for localized PCa, and they have decreased cancer-specific survival after these treatments compared with men of higher SES. 3 The reasons are unclear, but urologists in American cities with large poverty-stricken populations say impoverished men with PCa frequently encounter barriers to optimal care, such as poor fundamental health knowledge, no or inadequate health insurance, lack of social support, difficulties with arranging transportation to and from medical appointments, and unstable living situations. The consequences of these impediments include low rates of PCa screening and frequently missed medica...

As the most common cancer in British men – pointed out by Cancer Research UK – it could affect somebody you hold dear. Raising awareness about the disease is the Prostate Cancer Free Foundation. The charity urges people who experience any of the symptoms, listed below, to be tested for prostate cancer. A possible sign of advanced cancer is pain in the pelvis, hips, spine or upper legs. There could be blood present in urine or semen, pain or discomfort during ejaculation, and difficulty arousing an erection. Slow-growing prostate cancer may never cause symptoms or shorten life, so a screening programme hasn't been seen to be beneficial. This is particularly due to the side effects early treatment can have on a person who may otherwise have led a life unaffected by the cancer. In place of a national screening programme, there is an "an informed choice programme". Men, aged 50 or over, can ask their doctor about PSA testing, who'll detail the pros and cons o...

Men aged 45 to 75 will have the opportunity to be screened for prostate cancer this Thursday at the Apollo Medical Clinic in Hot Springs Village. The free screenings will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at 110 LaPlaza West. The screenings are being conducted in partnership between Apollo Medical Clinic and the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation. Chris Collier, APCF executive director, told The Sentinel-Record that these screenings are blood tests that help in "establishing a baseline" where the participants are. "Over 90% of men never exhibit any symptoms," Collier said. These tests will show what level of risk the men who take them are at. Since many men with prostate cancer never have symptoms, Collier said that men often do not learn that they have it until it is in Stage 3 or Stage 4. "Men, as a rule, we do not like to go to the doctor. 'I'm not concerned about it because it won't happen to me,'" Collier said. "Unf...

Prostate cancer impacts about 11 percent of men at some point in their lives with more than 200,000 cases and 30,000 deaths annually attributed to the disease. September was Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and physicians are reminding people of the importance of understanding the risk factors and getting checked. Dr. Israel Cajigas, family medicine physician at Mercy Health, said guidelines from the United States Preventative Services Task Board in 2018 stressed screening prioritize men between the ages of 55 and 69. “This is kind of where we're going to see that the highest risk for men, so age is definitely one risk factor," Cajigas said. "Younger than 55, it's a little bit too early to screen, the benefits would not outweigh any potential risks. "And age 70 or above, we see less of the benefits, also." Research suggests African American and Hispanic men are at heightened risk of dying from the disease, Cajigas said, pointing to studies showin...