Prostate Awareness Month 2020: Types of Prostate Exams and Signs of Cancer That You Should Know of!
Every year, Septembers is observed as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The cancer organisations around the world come togerger to increase awareness about prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer types among men and accounts for more than 30,000 deaths every year in the US itself. Starting at age 50, all men should discuss prostate cancer screening with their doctor. The American Cancer Society (ACS) advises men at higher risk to have this conversation at age 45. You’re considered to have an increased risk if you’re African-American or if a first-degree relative had prostate cancer before age 65. If more than one first-degree relative had prostate cancer before age 65, you might want to consider beginning prostate cancer screening even earlier. The ACS estimates there will be about 180,890 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2016. About 26,120 men will die from it.
Prostate cancer is easier to treat before it spreads. However, some prostate cancers are so slow-growing that they don’t always require treatment. A lot depends on your age and other factors. Discuss your risk factors with your doctor, and ask if you should have a prostate exam as part of your yearly checkup.
Two types of prostate exam:
digital rectal exam
Prostate-specific antigen exam
When you’re checking for prostate cancer, it’s important to know the symptoms. When you’re aware of the signs, prostate cancer can be caught early. Because prostate cancer doesn’t typically show signs early on, this particular cancer is typically found through PSA blood test or digital rectal exams. But, there are typically five major warning signs of prostate cancer; however, as cancer progresses, symptoms typically involve the urinary system. Because the prostate is located close to the urethra and bladder, symptoms might include 1 :
Frequent urination
Weak or interrupted urine flow
The urge to urinate frequently at night
Blood in the urine or seminal fluid
Erectile dysfunction (new-onset)
Pain or burning during urination (a less common symptom)
Discomfort or pain while sitting down (caused by an enlarged prostate)
Coughing or loss of breath
Unexplained weight loss
Hip or back pain
Leg swelling or weakness
A new research provides insights on the potential causes of racial disparities in deaths following prostate cancer surgery. The findings are published in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Black men not only have a higher rate of developing prostate cancer compared with white men, but they're also more than twice as likely to die from the disease.
