Free Prostate Cancer Screening

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer found in men after skin cancer. In 2007, 1,620 Texas men died from prostate cancer and an estimated 13,280 new cases were diagnosed. You can get 2008 estimates from the American Cancer Society. Although it is typically slow growing and most diagnosed cancers are discovered in men over age 65, it can kill.

Currently, digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) are used for prostate cancer detection. Most experts agree that healthy men over the age of 50 should consider prostate cancer screening with a DRE and PSA test. Screening should occur earlier, at age 40, in those who are at a higher risk of prostate cancer such as African-American men or those with a family history of prostate cancer.

Since there is no single definitive screening test and because treatment sometime results in unwanted side effects such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction and bowel dysfunction, there is some controversy around screening, especially around using PSA screening alone.

Many communities like those in Central Texas provide free prostate cancer screenings that include both the blood test and a digital rectal exam performed by a physician. "One of our goals is to raise awareness in men about the health of their reproductive systems," says Dawn Parsons, RN, Manager of the Seton Cancer Care Team. "We want men to be screened. They should learn in their teens what needs to become part of their normal health habits."

"Both the PSA blood test and the digital rectal exam are reliable screening tools that can detect an abnormality. We recommend both tests as it provides a much more comprehensive evaluation and clinical picture. although many prostate cancers are slow growing, some can be more aggressive, especially among younger men," adds Dawn. "The cancer may kill the younger man and the older man may die of some other disease process instead. The only way to decide is to work closely with your medical provider to make the best possible decision for you and maintaining a baseline measurement over several years can help."

Changing Behaviors

"We've done a pretty good job of educating women about the benefits of regular cancer screenings such as mammograms and Pap smears. Almost all women know when they should begin screening and a growing percentage of them actually get the exams," says Dawn. "Men need to accept similar responsibility for their reproductive health beginning as early as puberty."

"There's a double standard for men and women," says Dawn. "Women have much more advocacy, passion and fund raising around breast cancer because they know the potential catastrophic affect it can have on their lives, their children, their mate, their extended families. There's not rage or outcry for prostate cancer screening even though many men are not being helped who should be."

A key issue is reaching and educating men about the value of screenings. There are several challenges. First, prostate cancer cannot be easily diagnosed by a single tool. Second, many men are reluctant to have a digital rectal exam. Third, many men tend to ignore changes in their bodies as they age until something significant shows up.

Dawn urges them to think again. "Prostate cancer is the number one cancer in men and the second leading cause of death. According to the 2008 Cancer Facts and Figures , it is about 10 percent of all cancer deaths in men. That's why it is so important to be screened regularly and to develop a relationship with medical professionals so that you can make the best possible decision about your care. If you have blood in your urine or if suddenly begin having to go to the bathroom several times at night, you should be examined. Many of the men we work with find it comforting to learn there are benign treatable conditions that can cause symptoms - but you would certainly want to see a physician."

Facts About Prostate Cancer

• Every year over 232,090 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and about 30,350 die. If detected early, prostate cancer is often treatable.
  
  
• One in six men is at a lifetime risk of prostate cancer.
  
  
• A man with one close relative with the disease has double the risk. With two close relatives, his risk is five-fold. With three, the chance is 97%.
  
  
• African American males have a prostate cancer incidence rate up to 60% higher than white males and double the mortality (death) rate of white males.
  
  
• Men with a body mass index over 32.5 have about a one-third greater risk of dying from prostate cancer than men who are not obese.
  
  
• Other then skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American males today.
  
  
• Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States.
  
  
• Prostate cancer is mainly found in men age 55 or over with an average age of 70 at the time of diagnosis.
  
  
• Majority of deaths from prostate cancer are related to advanced disease with metastases, cancer cells that have spread elsewhere in the body.

Seton Cancer Care Team

Because we believe in treating the whole person and not just the cancer, the Seton Family of Hospitals provides a variety of support services that can help families through difficult times. From nutritional therapy and counseling, to yoga and biofeedback, the Seton Cancer Care Team can help you find a way to cope with cancer.

The Seton Cancer Care Team provides vital case management services plus a variety of innovative physical, emotional and spiritual support programs to adult cancer patients from around Central Texas who are on active treatment. Case management services may be intensive, particularly for those whose initial assessment indicates they are at risk of dropping out of treatment.