Learn More About Screening For Prostate Cancer
Pay attention to warning signs.Unfortunately, there often arent any early warning signs for prostate cancer. A growing prostate tumor usually does not push against anything to cause pain, so the disease may be silent for many years. However, there are certain signs and symptoms you should bring to your doctors attention. In some cases, often when the disease is advanced, prostate cancer can cause symptoms that include:
- A need to urinate frequently, especially at night, sometimes urgently
- Difficulty starting or holding back urination
- Weak, dribbling, or interrupted flow of urine
- Painful or burning urination
- Pressure or pain in the rectum
- Pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, pelvis, or thighs
Keep the conversation open. Sharing health information can feel uncomfortable. Many people feel that their health is a private matter, and many people feel embarrassed about their health problems. In some families and cultures, its almost taboo to discuss problems.
Its normal to feel a need for privacy around your health, but the first person in a family to learn they carry a mutation can give the greatest possible gift to their children, their siblings, and their cousins when they share that knowledge.
Watch for breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers in particular, as these are known to arise in families sharing certain genetic mutations.
Family History And Your Genes
However, two genetic variables that can bump up your chance of being diagnosed with PCa. The first has to do with first-degree relatives, which includes parents, siblings, and children. Thus, a man with a father, brother or son with PCa has two-to-three times the risk of someone with no first degree relative with a history.
But it doesnt stop there. The risk level increases with more family members who have PCa. For example, three generations in a row with a history of PCa on either the mothers or fathers side will boost the probability by strongly suggesting an inherited vulnerability for the disease.
The second variable is a family history in which there is some prostate cancer as well as other cancers . While a linear connection may not be apparent in the family tree, it is reasonable to assume that the broader gene pool raises the odds of PCa and other cancers.
Myth: Prostate Cancer Treatment Always Causes Incontinence
Fact: Next to sexual function, men worry most about urinary incontinence as a result of prostate cancer treatment. Sartor says sexual side effects are more common than the urinary side effects the year after surgery. The majority of people do not have significant urinary problems.
If you do have bladder problems, youre more likely to face minor leakage than major accidents and in most men, the situation is temporary or treatable.
To help ensure the best outcome after surgery, Sartor recommends looking for a surgeon who has performed the procedure many times surgeons who are on their 900th procedure, for example, not their 41st. Experience does matter, he says. Its important to consider.
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Causes Of Prostate Cancer
The causes of prostate cancer are largely unknown. But certain things can increase your risk of developing the condition.
The chances of developing prostate cancer increase as you get older. Most cases develop in men aged 50 or older.
For reasons not yet understood, prostate cancer is more common in black men and less common in Asian men.
Men whose father or brother were affected by prostate cancer are at slightly increased risk themselves.
Recent research also suggests that obesity increases the risk of prostate cancer.
Everybody Talks About Genes But What Really Matters Is How Does It Help You How Can It Help Your Children And Grandchildren
For example: today, if a man has a rising PSA, and its still fairly low, and a biopsy shows just a couple of cores of low-grade cancer, his doctor might want to wait and do another biopsy in six months to a year, and if its still inconclusive, the man might decide to get yet another biopsy in a few months. But soon, that man will have a very important piece of extra knowledge to add to the puzzle. If a man tests positive for one of these genes, his sisters, brothers, and children will need genetic testing, as well, because of the high probability that their cancer risk has been significantly elevated, says Simons. Men on active surveillance should have these genes tested.
Very important: Testing positive is not a cause for alarm, or for making panicky, hasty decisions. Genes dont have to be your destiny, notes Simons.
In other words, if you have one or more of these genetic mutations, cancer is not a done deal. But its on the table, and ignoring your genetic risk puts you at a much higher risk of dying unnecessarily. Take BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, for instance: No woman should die from ovarian cancer if shes a BRCA1 carrier, but after she has her kids she may need to have her ovaries removed to reduce her risk to zero, as actress Angelina Jolie did. It will be a similar situation for prostate cancer.
What Genetic Tests Mean For Me and My Kids?You dont have prostate cancer, but your dad doesYou have hormone-resistant prostate cancer, or metastatic disease
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Preparing For A Prostate Exam
Theres nothing special that you need to do to prepare for a prostate exam. Tell your doctor if you have or hemorrhoids, as a DRE may aggravate these.
If you undergo a prostate cancer screening, your doctor will likely order a blood test, so inform the person drawing your blood if youre prone to dizziness.
Your doctor may ask you to sign a consent form before performing a cancer screening.
You can get a prostate exam easily and quickly at your doctors office. Generally, for prostate cancer screenings, your doctor will take a simple blood test.
Who Should Get A Psa Test
The current US Preventive Services Task Force states that men of an average risk of prostate cancer between the ages of 55-69 should consider being screened using a PSA test. However, other individuals at a higher risk might want to be considered for earlier screening including:
- Those who might be overweight
- Older men – those over 65 – as PSA rises over time, starting at age 50
- Those with a family history of prostate cancer
- African American men
- Those living a sedentary lifestyle, or those who eat an unhealthy diet
To learn more about screening for prostate cancer, visit Prostate Conditions Education Council.
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At What Age Should Men Get A Prostate Exam
A prostate screening can help your doctor find prostate cancer early, but youll need to decide if the benefits of the exam outweigh the risks. Have a discussion with your doctor about prostate cancer screenings.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends that men ages 55 to 69 decide for themselves whether to undergo a prostate-specific antigen screening test, after talking it over with their doctor.
It recommends against screening for men at or above age 70.
The American Cancer Society strongly recommends that no one be screened without discussion of the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation recommends that men practice precision screening, and consult with their doctor to come up with a personal prostate cancer screening plan thats right for them.
When to start this conversation depends on age and risk factors that may increase a mans risk of prostate cancer. Here are the general recommendations:
- Age 40: men who have a family history of prostate or other cancers in a first-degree relative, are Black, or have known genetic mutations that may increase the risk of cancers
- Age 45: men with no known risk factors
PSA screening should be considered carefully based on life expectancy, existing conditions, family history, and ethnicity. Side effects from some treatments can lessen life expectancy and quality of life.
A digital rectal exam may also be a part of your screening.
Breast And Ovarian Cancer And Family History Risk Categories
This table provides examples of average, moderate, and strong family health histories of breast and ovarian cancer. This may help you understand if you have an increased risk for these cancers based on your family health history.
Note: This table does not include all possible family health histories of breast and ovarian cancer. If you have concerns about your family health history of breast or ovarian cancer, please talk to your doctor. Your doctor may assess your risk based on your personal and family health history, using one of the following:
Results may vary, depending on the tool used, and may differ from the risk categories below, which are based largely on the guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.1
Family History Risk Category
Average: Typically not increased risk, similar to the general population risk
Average: Typically not increased risk, similar to the general population risk
No first or second-degree relatives with breast or ovarian cancer
or
One second-degree female relative with breast cancer diagnosed after age 50
No first or second-degree relatives with breast or ovarian cancer
or
One second-degree female relative with breast cancer diagnosed after age 50
Grandmother with breast cancer diagnosed at age 75
Grandmother with breast cancer diagnosed at age 75
Genetic counseling and testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer is not typically recommended for this type of family
oror
One first or second-degree relative with:
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When Prostate Cancer Risk Is All In The Family
Your familial risk of prostate cancer is greatest if you have a first-degree relative who had the disease, especially if they were diagnosed at a relatively young age. Having multiple first degree relatives with prostate cancer also increases risk. Having multiple second-degree relatives and third-degree relatives adds to the risk, Carroll explains. Its more concerning when we see all cancers on one side of the family, in one blood line, she adds.
In one study, researchers found that men with a brother who had prostate cancer were more than twice as likely as men in the general population to be diagnosed with the disease themselves, and they faced nearly twice the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer by age 75. Also, men with both a father and brother who had prostate cancer faced about a threefold greater risk of prostate cancer and developing aggressive disease by age 75 compared with the general population.
If My Dad Had Prostate Cancer Will I Get It Too
Both familiar and hereditary prostate cancers are associated with a family history of prostate cancer, but these two forms of the disease make up only about 25% of the total prostate cancer cases diagnosed each year. It is important for men to understand, however, that having a strong family history of prostate cancer does, in fact, increase their chance of developing prostate cancer by as much as 200 300%. In particular, men with three or more relatives on the same side of the family, as well as men with a first-degree relative who has or had prostate cancer, are at increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
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Imperfect Prostate Cancer Screenings
Screening for prostate cancer is done with a prostate-specific antigen test. The test is a bit unreliable as it sometimes misses seeing cancer. Other times it can find something questionable and it turns out to be nothing.
The advantages of the screening is reducing deaths, but there can also be harm done from unnecessary treatment.
Complications from treatments for prostate cancer can include urinary and bowel issues plus sexual side effects. Unfortunately there are no tests that tell you if the cancer is slow growing or aggressive.
Ask Dr. Eric Diner about your personal risk factors and consider whether screening for prostate cancer is right for you.
If you are concerned that several family members had prostate cancer, or because someone was diagnosed at an early age, contact Dr. Eric Diner to help you manage risks.
As always, if you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call 824-7146 or request an appointment online today.
Who Should Take This Test
Any male over the age of 40 should establish a baseline PSA level and be regularly screened for prostate cancer. Based on your baseline PSA level and risk factors such as age, race, and family history, you might have to be re-tested annually, while others can wait years between screenings. Men are at greater risk if they:
- Have a family history of prostate cancer
- Are of Black ethnic origin
- Are overweight or obese
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My Dad Had Prostate Cancer When He Was 65 Does This Make Me More Likely To Get It Too What Could Increase My Risk And How Will I Know If I Have It
Your risk of getting prostate cancer may be higher if other members of your family have had it. Prostate cancer occurs mainly in older men, with the average age of diagnosis being 66 years of age.
It is believed that a number of things can increase your risk of developing the condition. These include:
· Age Risk rises as you get older and most cases are diagnosed in men over 50 years of age.
· Ethnic group Prostate cancer is more common among men of African-Caribbean and African descent than in men of Asian descent.
· Family history Having a brother or father who developed prostate cancer under the age of 60 seems to increase the risk of you developing it. Research also shows that having a close female relative who developed breast cancer may also increase your risk of developing prostate cancer.
· Obesity Recent research suggests that there may be a link between obesity and prostate cancer.
· Exercise Men who regularly exercise have been found to be at lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
· Diet Research is ongoing into the links between diet and prostate cancer. There is evidence that a diet high in calcium is linked to an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
Different men have different symptoms of prostate cancer. Some men do not have symptoms at all, especially in the early stages, until the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the tube that carries urine from the bladder .
Some symptoms of prostate cancer are:
I Asked My Dad What It’s Like To Have Prostate Cancer
Life reporter at HuffPost UK
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer found in men in the UK.
Each year over 40,000 men are diagnosed with the illness. It also kills one man every hour. With that in mind, it’s safe to say that we need to talk about it more.
And what better time to talk, than during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month?
John Hinde, my father, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013. It was a strange time in our family, which wasn’t helped by the fact that there was this huge elephant in the room that nobody really wanted to discuss.
It’s not because we don’t talk as a family – we do. The reason why I didn’t bring it up was because I didn’t know if my dad would feel comfortable talking about it. I was also scared about what he’d say if we did.
Meanwhile he didn’t mention it much because he didn’t feel the need to. We just carried on life as normal, but he had cancer.
During that time my head was filled with questions. Mainly “Is he going to die?” and “Why is it happening to my dad?” but also the more inquisitive: “What does cancer actually feel like?” “What on earth is a prostate?” “Oh, you have to have a finger up your bum?” etc., etc.
A year down the line and things have, thankfully, changed for the better. My dad had an operation to remove his prostate and I finally plucked up the courage to ask him the questions that, at the time, I didn’t quite have the courage to say…
How and when did you find out you had prostate cancer?
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Should I Get Screened For Prostate Cancer
This video helps men understand their prostate cancer screening options.
In 2018, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made the following recommendations about prostate cancer screening
- Men who are 55 to 69 years old should make individual decisions about being screened for prostate cancer with a prostate specific antigen test.
- Before making a decision, men should talk to their doctor about the benefits and harms of screening for prostate cancer, including the benefits and harms of other tests and treatment.
- Men who are 70 years old and older should not be screened for prostate cancer routinely.
This recommendation applies to men who
- Are at average risk for prostate cancer.
- Are at increased risk for prostate cancer.
Other organizations, like the American Urological Association and the American Cancer Society, may have other recommendations.
When Should I Measure My Magnesium Levels
This test is recommended for those who consume less magnesium than the recommended daily allowance , have a condition that interferes with the absorption of magnesium , or have type 2 diabetes, which leads to increased magnesium excretion².
Symptoms of a new magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and weakness². Among the symptoms of more severe magnesium deficiency are numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, and seizures.
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How Can I Improve My Lp
To decrease your risk of vascular inflammation and cardiovascular disease, healthcare professionals may recommend you eat less fatty foods, exercise more frequently, stop smoking, and, possibly, take statins, which lower levels of cholesterol in your body. Lp-PLA2 levels can be lowered over the course of weeks or months by addressing risk factors².