The only way to know for sure if you have prostate cancer is to get screened. There are two initial screening tests, both of which can be performed in your healthcare provider’s office: the PSA, which is a blood test, and the DRE (digital rectal exam). However, neither test alone is sufficient to diagnose prostate cancer and must be part of a more comprehensive exam. “A PSA test can’t be classified as normal or abnormal in simple terms,” says Behfar Ehdaie, MD, MPH, who is a prostate surgeon. “It should be used as one of multiple clinical factors suggesting a patient may be harboring cancer.” A patient’s age, the size of the prostate, whether there are any urinary symptoms, whether there’s a history of prior biop- sies and other factors must also be considered, says Dr. Ehdaie. Your provider will look at the totality of those factors when de- termining whether further tests, including a biopsy, are needed. The American Cancer Society recommends that men dis-
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cuss screening with their healthcare providers to determine the most appropriate age for testing based upon their personal risk factors.
General guidelines suggest screening men at age 50 who are at average risk and expected to live at least another ten years; at age 45 for men at high risk, including African Americans and men with a family history of prostate cancer; and at age 40, men at the highest risk (those with two or more first-degree family members who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer).
Treatment Options
There are numerous treatments to choose among if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, depending upon the stage the disease is in. Surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy may be considered. The PCF notes that no “one size fits all” and outlines detailed information about these and other options on its website: www.pcf.org.
