Prostate Cancer Screening Saves Lives

Prostate Cancer Screening Saves Lives

 By Edward Levin, M.D., a board-certified urologist affiliated with Sutter Solano Medical Center and a member of Solano Regional Medical Group

 The challenge in detecting prostate cancer is that symptoms don’t usually appear until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. Consequently, the death rate has been fairly high—but it doesn’t have to be that way. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a simple blood test that was introduced in 1986, has drastically reduced the number of deaths due to prostate cancer.

 The PSA test picks up 80 to 90 percent of cases in their early stages, when treatment is overwhelmingly successful. Now the life expectancy of those who are successfully treated is the same as if they never had it.

 Screening Guidelines

Men in high-risk groups, such as African Americans and anyone whose father or brother had prostate cancer, should get a prostate cancer screening between the ages of 40 and 45. Other men should begin getting a PSA test and rectal exam between ages 45 and 50.

 In the past, annual screenings were recommended, but newer guidelines are coming out that decrease the frequency of PSA testing for men with results in the normal range. Many men don’t take preventive measures, so the guidelines have been fine-tuned to encourage action by those who need screenings most.

 Treatment Options

When prostate cancer is diagnosed, men have a number of treatment options, ranging from close monitoring to ensure it doesn’t spread, to undergoing open surgery. A robot is used during surgery to allow better visualization and potentially quicker healing. External beam radiation, freezing, ultrasound or radioactive seed therapy may also be used.

 When suggesting treatment options, I discuss with my patients potential side effects including erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. I’ll work closely with them and take their fears into account. The goal is to ensure they can lead a normal life after a successful course of treatment.

 One of my patients, Ernie Drake, chose radioactive seed therapy, with excellent results. Seven years ago, radioactive implants were placed in Drake’s prostate during an outpatient procedure; his PSA score started going down almost immediately. He also experienced no side effects and was back to his normal routine within a week. Ernie knows firsthand that early detection is the key to beating cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America. If you’re diagnosed with it, you face difficult decisions.

Edward Levin, M.D.