About 1 in 8 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. The specialists at
Aurora BayCare Urological Surgeons want to help men in northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula beat those odds.
Since June is National Men’s Health Month, it’s the perfect time to remind guys to not gamble with their prostate health.
The prostate is about the size of a walnut. It is just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds part of the urethra, which empties urine from the bladder. The prostate gland makes fluid that is part of semen.
Prostate cancer affects the tissues of the prostate gland. It usually grows slowly.
Drs. Richard Windsor and Joshua T. Piotrowski both are urological surgeons with Aurora BayCare Urological Surgeons. They’re urging men everywhere to take prostate health seriously.
“Prostate cancer typically can be found in men over age 50,” Windsor says. “There are two types of tests that are used to screen for prostate cancer – a digital rectal exam and a blood test, which looks for a prostate specific antigen or PSA. These tests help determine who needs further testing, such as a prostate biopsy. Both a rectal exam and PSA test should be routinely performed on men ages 50 to 75.”
Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America. In 2022, approximately 268,490 new cases of prostate cancer will be reported, according to The American Cancer Society.
Approximately 34,500 of those cases will result in death.
Statistics such as these help highlight the importance of screening and early detection, Piotrowski says.
“The challenge with prostate cancer is that there aren’t any early symptoms,” he says. “With advanced prostate cancer, there are clear symptoms – blood in the urine, a weak flow, trouble urinating and difficulty in completely emptying the bladder. However, it may be too late to cure prostate cancer if men wait for advanced symptoms to present.
“The good news is that prostate cancer is highly treatable when found early. We’re talking about a 90 to 95 percent chance of being cured. That’s why we advocate so passionately for age-appropriate screening and early detection.”
Treatment options for prostate cancer
Treatment options for prostate cancer vary depending on the cancer’s progression. Treatment options include but are not limited to:
- Radiation therapy
- Surgery
- Hormone therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Active surveillance (waiting and keeping an eye on health conditions)
“The best way to be proactive about prostate health is to talk with your doctor about your risk factors, if any, and discuss whether you need screening tests,” Windsor says. “Take control of your prostate health today.”