You At Your Best

8 | YOU AT YOUR BEST | nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST SEpTEmBER - mEn'S HEAlTH | SATURdAY, AUgUST 26, 2017 SpeCial to nwa deMoCrat-gazette Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the world. According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, more than 1.1 million cases of prostate cancer were recorded in 2012, accounting for 15 percent of new cancer diagnoses in men that year. Prostate cancer is often found before any symptoms arise. Prostate cancer screening no doubt contributes to that early detection, but many men are reluctant to be screened, feeling that the digital rectal exam, or DRE, is simply too uncomfortable to undergo. And the Prostate Cancer Foundation notes that there is no unanimous opinion in the medical community regarding the benefits of prostate cancer screening. Men should speak with their physicians to determine if screening is for them, ultimately choosing the option they are most comfortable with and the one they feel best promotes their long-term health. Men who choose not to get screened for prostate cancer or those who are on the fence regarding screening may benefit from learning as much as possible about the disease. Doing so can help them make more informed screening decisions, and those who choose to avoid screening can learn the potential signs and symptoms so they can bring any problems they might be experiencing to their physicians' attention as soon as those abnormalities begin to surface. The PCF notes that not everyone will experience symptoms of prostate cancer, but some men will. Sometimes the presence of certain problems associated with prostate cancer may be indicative of other conditions, including benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. BPH is not cancer, but it is an enlargement of the prostate, and a man's risk for developing BPH grows every year. For example, BPH is present in 20 percent of men in their fifties, and that prevalence rises to 70 percent among men age 70 or older. Symptoms of prostatitis, a painful condition in which the prostate is inflamed, tender and swollen, may also resemble the symptoms of prostate cancer. But the PCF notes that prostatitis is a benign ailment that is not cancer and does not contribute to cancer. While not everyone experiences symptoms of prostate cancer, some men may experience changes in their urinary or sexual function. Men who notice the presence of any of the following symptoms should consult their physicians immediately. • A need to urinate frequently, especially at night • Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine • Weak or interrupted flow of urine • Painful or burning urination • Difficulty having an erection • Painful ejaculation • Blood in urine or semen In the United States, one in six men can expect to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, while there is a one in seven chance that a Canadian man will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during his lifetime. Those elevated incidence rates could be a byproduct of an aging population, as age is a significant risk factor for prostate cancer. According the Prostate Cancer Foundation, one in 10,000 men under age 40 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. That figure skyrockets to one in 38 for men between the ages of 40 to 59, and one in 15 for men in their 60s. Race is another risk factor for prostate cancer. Asian men have the lowest risk of developing prostate cancer, while African-American men are 60 percent more likely to develop the disease than Caucasian men. The PCF notes that African-American men are also 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease, which highlights the importance that African-American men must place on screenings. Family history also plays a role in a man's risk for developing prostate cancer. Men whose fathers or brothers have had prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease. Their risk increases even more if their fathers or brothers were diagnosed with the cancer before reaching the age of 55 or if they had three or more family members who were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Research into prostate cancer is ongoing and continues to unearth new information regarding this potentially deadly disease. The PCF notes, for instance, that the risk factors for aggressive version of this type of cancer can differ from the risk factors for slow-growing cancers. As a result, risk factors that were once not linked to prostate cancer are now being linked to aggressive forms of the disease. Smoking, for example, might be a risk factor for aggressive prostate cancer, as is a diet void of vegetables. Neither factor, however, is thought to increase a man's risk of slow-growing prostate cancer. Additional risk factors for aggressive prostate cancer include height (tall men might have an elevated risk) and living a sedentary lifestyle. Many men are aware of the importance of prostate cancer screenings, however it is not recommended that healthy men be screened. "Internists must think of the totality of the health of our patients," stated Dr. Chris Hardin of MANA's Fayetteville Diagnostic Clinic. "As such, we look at the benefits versus potential for harms for even something as innocuous appearing as a PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test. I recommend against screening for prostate cancer in asymptomatic average risk men. This stance is consistent with the United State Preventive Services Task Force." "Because of the uncertainty of a diagnosis of prostate cancer, most men undergo treatment which can include surgery, radiation, or hormonal therapies. Most of these men do not need this treatment due to the slow nature of this disease. This overtreatment can cause adverse events including erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, difficulties with bowel control, or surgical complications," added Dr. Hardin. More information about prostate cancer is available at www.pcf.org. Exploring the risk factors and symptoms for prostate cancer Research into prostate cancer continues to unearth new information regarding this potentially deadly disease.

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