Detecting Prostate Cancer

A lot of research has been done about prostate cancer, and a lot is known about the disease, but exactly what causes it is still a mystery. Due to the amount of research done in the area, some links have been discovered. Although these are not actual causes, doctors feel that they can predict some risk factors that increase the risk of prostate cancer.

The largest risk factor for prostate cancer is if a man has already had it, and it has been in remission. The second largest risk factor is a man’s age. As a man ages, he is more likely to develop prostate cancer. Two thirds of prostate cancer occurs in men over the age of 65. Race is also a factor; African-American men are twice as likely to get the disease as whites, while Asian and Hispanic men are the least likely to get it. Family history can also be an indicator of prostate cancer; if a man’s father, grandfather, or brothers have had the disease, there is a good chance that he will get it, too.

If a man has any or all of these risk factors, he should visit his doctor regularly for check-ups, particularly after the age of forty. Doctor examinations are important because the signs of prostate cancer are almost non-existent if the cancer is in its earliest stages. The signs for prostate cancer can also be caused by certain medical conditions which are not cancer. For instance, if a man is having difficulty urinating, the cause could be as simple as a urinary tract infection, or an enlarged prostate, both easily treatable and not dangerous. But the cause could also be cancer.

Seventy-five percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer survive more than five years. Early cancer detection makes the percentage of survival even higher: ninety-five percent. So, regular doctor visits and cancer tests are very important to the survival rate. This is because the earlier the cancer is detected, the more chance the treatments have to eradicate, stop, or slow down the cancer.

There are two main tests for discovering cancer and both are simple and effective. The first is called a digital rectal examination. This is when a doctor checks for a cancerous growth manually by placing a gloved, lubricated finger inside the rectum and feeling the prostate gland through the wall of the rectum. Any unusual hard lump or granular, bumpy area is cause for further investigation. This exam is done with the patient lying on his side with his legs drawn up and is uncomfortable, but not painful, and is over quickly.

The second important cancer screening tool is a blood test called a PSA test. Every man has a protein in his blood called prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is manufactured by the prostate gland. If there is a cancer growing in the prostate gland, it produces more of this protein than usual. After blood is drawn from the patient by a doctor through a syringe, it is then sent to a laboratory for tests. The pathologist at the laboratory finds the level of PSA in the blood. A level of 4ng/mL (four nanograms per milliliter) or lower is considered normal. A level of between 4ng/mL and 10ng/mL is cause for more testing to determine if cancer is present, and a level of more than 10ng/mL means that there is a good chance that cancer is present in the patient.

If the doctor finds an abnormal growth during the rectal exam or if the level of the PSA is high, the doctor will need more tests to determine if there is cancer, the size of the cancer and how fast it is spreading. After these determinations are made, the doctor will advise a course of treatment.

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