Thousands of Missouri men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. Be prepared | Opinion
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. That statistic might surprise you, since prostate cancer often doesn’t get as much attention as some other cancers. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to learn why you should talk to your doctor about this common cancer.
An estimated 288,300 prostate cancer cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2023. An estimated 5,000 of them are expected in Missouri alone.
Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by prostate cancer, and that disparity seems to only be worsening.
The good news is that fewer people are dying from this disease in recent decades because of effective screening. But screening is not necessarily recommended for every man. (Women do not have a prostate gland.)
The first step is to talk to your health care provider about the pros and cons of screening. When should I talk to my doctor about this important cancer screening?
If you are Black or have a close relative (father or brother) diagnosed before age 65, talk to your health care provider beginning at age 45.
If you have several close relatives diagnosed at a young age, consult with your provider at age 40.
If you’re at average risk, you should start this conversation at age 50.
What are the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening?
Prostate cancer screening is typically done through prostate specific antigen or PSA testing. Digital rectal examination, where the health care provider uses a gloved finger to examine a person’s rectum, can also be performed, but this generally is less effective than PSA testing at finding prostate cancer. However, as a rectal exam can sometimes find cancers that would otherwise be missed, it is still often performed along with PSA testing.
When detected early, the five-year survival rate for localized or regional prostate cancer is close to 100%. However, some prostate cancers grow slowly and would never progress to be harmful or cause symptoms, so people may undergo unnecessary treatment and side effects.
Elevated PSA levels can also sometimes indicate other health conditions. If diagnosed, you and your health care team may decide on “active surveillance” to monitor the progress of the disease and determine if treatment is necessary later if the cancer advances.
What increases my risk for prostate cancer?
Age — Most cases are diagnosed in men over age 65.
African ancestry — Black American and Caribbean men of African ancestry have the highest prostate cancer rates globally.
Genetic conditions, such as Lynch syndrome and BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.
Family history, such as having a father or brother with the disease.
Smoking.
Excessive body weight.
Take charge of your health. If you’re at risk for prostate cancer, make an appointment with a health care provider today to talk more about screening. To learn more about prostate cancer, visit preventcancer.org/prostate
Dianne Cleaver, who spent many years working in health care settings, is the spouse of Rep Emanuel Cleaver and a member of the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. Statistics in this commentary are provided by the American Cancer Society.
