November is a month dedicated to men’s health and male health awareness. Thousands of men will change their appearance this month by growing a moustache for the 30 days of Movember.
Not only are the ‘Mo bros’ bring back the moustache, they are raising funds and awareness for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health.
By taking a few simple steps such as maintaining a good diet and taking action early when experiencing a health issue, every man can improve their chances of living a happy and healthy life.
If prostate cancer is spotted early, prostate cancer can be very effectively treated. And many men will be able to lead a normal life for years to come. Prostate cancer has one of the best survival rates of all cancers.
The most important thing to remember about prostate cancer is that even if the doctors confirm you have it, it doesn’t mean you will die of it,
Many of the men immediately start thinking about their own mortality and worrying about their families and loved ones after they are gone.
This is why ‘Movember’ is so important – to encourage men to be more proactive about looking after their own health.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men with 250,000 new cases each year and nearly 30,000 deaths in the U.S. It is often slow-growing, but there are more aggressive forms which need active treatment.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis which secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm.
Conditions that can affect the prostate include infections, enlarged prostate – the gland grows in nearly all men over 50, prostate infections, and prostate cancer.
The first step is to make an appointment with your primary care physician and request a PSA test. If you have an elevated PSA level, your doctor will often refer you to a urologist. The urologist may recommend a prostate biopsy and will treat you as an individual and work out what the best treatment is depending on your age, health and other conditions you may have.
Surgery or radiotherapy is not right for everyone and sometimes a ‘watch and wait’ or surveillance plan of action is recommended if the prostate cancer is not aggressive.
A lot of men find it embarrassing to turn to a doctor about men’s issues about urinary symptoms as they fear they have prostate cancer.
A much more common condition is the enlarged prostate gland. This is a benign condition that impacts nearly all men over the age of 60 and causes difficulty with urination such as a decrease in the force and caliber of the urinary stream, urinary frequency, urgency of urination, and getting up at night to urinate.
The condition makes life uncomfortable as it can place pressure on the bladder and urethra, the tube through which urine passes, and can make it difficult to urinate or cause a frequent need to.
Most men can be helped with oral medication such as alpha blockers and medications to actually reduce the size of the prostate gland such as Proscar or Avodart. If medications are in effective, there are minimally invasive procedures such as microwaves, lasers and now the new Urolift procedure. This procedure has FDA approval and consists of using an implant that pulls the prostate gland open the us making urination much easier and more comfortable.
Prostate cancer – what you need to know if you are a man:
- Ask your primary care Dr. for a special test (called PSA) – spotting prostate cancer early is really important , this is especially important if you are in your 50s or have any risk factors
- Many diagnoses of prostate cancer will not cause problems and can be effectively treated and cured
- There are no symptoms of prostate cancer unless it is very advanced
- Contrary to popular belief difficulty in passing water is not a necessarily a sign of prostate cancer
- You are three or four times more likely to develop the disease if your brother, father or close male relative has been diagnosed with it
- If you are African American, then there is an increased risk you will develop prostate cancer.
- It is a known fact that all men will develop prostate cancer if they live long enough.
Prostate and prostate cancer facts:
- The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis. It secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm
- Conditions that can affect the prostate include infections, enlarged prostate (the gland grows in nearly all men over 50) and prostate cancer.
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men with 250,000 new cases each year and 30,000 deaths in the U.S.
- Prostate cancer is often slow-growing, but there are more aggressive forms need active treatment
- Most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer survive 10 years or more
- Familial inheritance represents 1-5% of all prostate cancers diagnosed
- It is predicted that there will be 60% more diagnoses over the next 20 years
- The number of advanced cancers is falling as awareness spreads
Prostate cancer – what happens:
The doctor will take some blood and test it to measure the amount of protein called prostate specific antigen – PSA.
It is normal to have a small amount of PSA in your blood. An elevated PSA level may be a sign of prostate cancer but equally the elevated PSA could be something like a urine\prostate infection or an enlarged prostate which is a benign condition.
An elevated PSA level may require an ultrasound prostate biopsy, which is where a small part of the prostate removed for further testing, or recommend an MRI scan, or both
If the scans and the biopsy confirm prostate cancer, your urologist will examine the information to determine exactly what risk type of cancer it is
You may need to have further scans such as bone scan or a CT scan
Types of treatment include active surveillance, radiotherapy or surgery depending on the type and severity of the cancer.
The important thing to remember is that prostate cancer can be effectively treated and you can live a perfectly normal life
More information on treatment options are available on my website: http://neilbaum.com/services/prostate-cancer
Bottom Line: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second most common cause of death in American men. Most men with prostate cancer can be successfully treated. It starts with a digital rectal exam and a blood test, PSA.
Dr. Neil Baum's Urology Blog 