Prostate cancer is diagnosed in over 200,000 American men each year. It can be caught due to symptoms, or at a regular healthy prostate check-up. For those whose cancer is detected early, they have an increased likelihood of survival and even of being cured. Therefore, for men who are over 50 or otherwise at risk, having a healthy prostate screening every year can help save their lives.
Many men give little thought to it when they have a healthy prostate. The prostate functions to produce secretions that make up semen. When it's working as a healthy prostate should, men often think there's no reason to have it checked out. However, many men with prostate cancer have no symptoms. Even the symptoms some men have, such as bloody urine and frequent urination, can be confused with other disorders. So, even if you're symptom free, you should still have a yearly exam to make sure you have a healthy prostate.
Routine screening for prostate cancer involves a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test and a digital rectal exam. The prostate specific antigen test is a simple blood test that measures the level of prostate specific antigen in the bloodstream. High levels of prostate specific antigen often indicate a problem and signal the need for additional testing. A digital rectal exam involves a physician inserting a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate for any abnormalities. A healthy prostate should have no irregular bumps or inflammation. If bumps or enlargement is found, further testing should be indicated.
If further prostate cancer testing is indicated by either the prostate specific antigen test or the digital rectal exam, that does not mean guarantee cancer is present. In fact, studies have shown that of the fifteen percent who have a higher than normal PSA, only one in five will be diagnosed with prostate cancer after additional prostate cancer testing.
The gold standard for additional testing is a biopsy of the prostate. If a biopsy is indicated, a urologist will insert a needle into the prostate to remove cells. Those cells are then examined under a microscope to see if cancer cells are present. If they are present, further testing is done to determine if they are slow growing or aggressive cells, which can help determine treatment.
Treatments for prostate cancer do vary by the stage and aggressiveness, but options include radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate), radiation therapy, hormone therapy and cryotherapy. These therapies are not without side effects, but newer techniques are constantly being researched and developed to reduce these side effects.
When prostate cancer is found in its earliest stages, the survival rate is almost 100 percent. That survival rate goes down in later stages of prostate cancer, so early detection is key. While many men find the digital rectal exam embarrassing and/or inconvenient, it can be vital in helping to save a life. Certainly, any inconvenience can be overlooked for such a positive potential outcome.