Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer in men and doctors are raising awareness about the importance of screenings during the month of September.
The Center for Disease Control says more than one out of every 10 men in the U.S. Will develop prostate cancer in their lives, and two to three of them will die from the disease.
Dr. Steven Patton with Norton Healthcare says early detection is key.
He said with proper screening, and being able to catch it in time, the cure rate for prostate cancer, the five-year survival rate, is almost 100% if you catch it in time. If that cancer was in the prostate and it starts to spread to the bone, what they call metastasize in different parts of the body, that five-year survival rate can drop way down to about 30%.
Screening for prostate cancer is easy. The most common nowadays is a PSA test- Prostate Specific Antigen. It measures the level of PSA in the blood. Higher levels can be a sign of prostate cancer.
That is why Patton suggests his male patients in the proper age range get screened, even if they are not showing symptoms.
Symptoms of prostate cancer can include chronic back pain, trouble urinating, blood in the urine, and unexplained weight changes. Men without symptoms and without family history of the disease should start screening for prostate cancer at age 45.
Source: WAVE
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