Prostate Cancer Screening, Is It Right for You?!

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in older male. Starting at age 50, discuss the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening tests with your physician. Prostate cancer screening is being offered by your urologist as an effective tool for detecting the cancer. But who is going to benefit the most from prostate cancer screening?While Prostatitis or BPH are benign and treatable conditions, prostate cancer is a serious disease.After lung cancer , the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S., prostate cancer is the second cause of death in men. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1 man in 6 will get prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only 1 in 34 men will die from cancer of prostate.According to the American Cancer Society, this year approximately 217,730 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 32,050 men will die from the disease. African-American men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, having higher rates of prostate cancer diagnosis during routine prostate cancer screening and death than men of all other racial or ethnic groups in the United States.The good news is that despite the high prevalence, more than 2 million men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States are still alive today. The key to survival is early detection by prostate cancer screening and treatment: When detected during these earliest stages the 5-year survival rate is close to 100%.

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But Is Prostate Cancer Screening Right for You?

Prostate cancer screening is usually recommended for certain group of men who are considered to be a high risk population. Before going for a prostate cancer screening, you should be aware of benefits and risks of prostate cancer screening.

Possible Benefits of Prostate Cancer Screening

• A normal PSA test may put your mind at ease
• A PSA test may find prostate cancer early before it has spread
• Early treatment of prostate cancer may help some men to avoid problems from cancer
• Early treatment of prostate cancer may help some man live longer

Prostate Cancer Screening Also Bears Some Risks

• A normal PSA test may miss some prostate cancer ("false negative")
• Sometimes the test results suggest something is wrong when it isn't ("false positive"). This can cause unneeded worry and stress.
• A "false positive" PSA test may lead to an unneeded prostate biopsy (tissue sampling)
• A high PSA mat find a prostate cancer that is slow growing and never would have caused you problems
• Treatment of prostate cancer may cause you harm. Problems with getting erections, leaking urine or bowl function can occur

"According to the American Urology Association, in asymptomatic men, the greatest benefit of routine prostate cancer screening can be found in men ages 55 to 69 years. Men younger than 55 or older than 69 who are worried about their personal risk factors should talk with their health care provider to determine whether prostate cancer screening is appropriate."Dr. Elist, a broad certified urologist with over 30 years of experience, is the right person to see and talk to about your risk factors and whether a prostate cancer screening would be the right choice for you.