One in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer

[RedEarth]

One in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Nearly 30,000 men in the US die from this cancer ever year. African American men have nearly twice the risk of dying from prostate cancer as all other ethnicities. Michael Haynes, NFL Hall of Famer, points to a lack of education as the reason why many men avoid screening, risking a cancer diagnosis late in the game. As a spokesperson for the American Urological Association, Haynes and his surgeon, Christopher Kane, MD, chief of urology at UC San Diego Medical Center, offer a playbook of four strategies for men’s urologic health.

Know Your Stats


“For me, learning about prostate cancer started with a free screening event hosted by the NFL and the American Urological Association,” said Haynes. “One of the doctor’s first questions to me was about my previous PSA scores. I was surprised, as that was the first time I had even heard of a PSA. I’d never tracked my blood pressure much less a PSA level.”

PSA stands for prostate specific antigen — a fluid which is present normally in the semen. Elevated levels of PSA in blood serum are associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement) and prostate cancer. A test for PSA may be used to screen for prostate cancer and to monitor treatment of the disease.

“I recommend that every man know his health stats. Be proactive and track your PSA, cholesterol and blood pressure every year,” said Kane. “One of the popular misconceptions is that a normal PSA is anything under four. This is not true for everyone. PSA must be used in the context of age and ethnicity. An average PSA for a man in his 40s is .8. An average PSA for a man in his 50s is .9 to one and really should be under 2.5.”

After reviewing his PSA scores, Haynes learned that he had an elevated PSA which had spiked over a two-year period. His primary care physician referred him to a urologist who performed a biopsy which revealed cancer in nine of 12 places on his prostate gland.

“PSA velocity, the rate of change of PSA, is a very strong predictor of prostate cancer,” said Kane. “PSA velocity is also correlated with grade and severity of cancer. A PSA history that suddenly changes is a more valuable indicator of disease than a single elevated PSA. Know your numbers and create a benchmark to monitor your own health.”



http://health.ucsd.edu/news/2010/1-6-prostate-awareness.htm