Don’t be EMBARRASSED to save your life
September Is National Prostate Cancer Month
How important is having a regular checkup when it comes to beating prostate cancer? Just ask Robert De Niro. The two-time Oscar winner was diagnosed in 2003 at age 60 with prostate cancer. Fortunately, because his condition was detected early, De Niro was able to beat the disease.
Other men have not been so fortunate. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men. One in six men will be diagnosed with the disease during his lifetime. Yet many are still embarrassed to be checked for prostate cancer. Why An Annual Checkup Is Critical
In most cases, prostate cancer does not produce any symptoms. A weak or slow stream while urinating or an increased urgency to urinate can be signs of prostate cancer. But these symptoms are usually related to non-cancerous conditions. Because prostate cancer is so hard to detect, it’s vitally important for any man over 50 to talk to their personal physician about having an annual prostate exam. Men with a higher risk for the disease, including African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer, should talk to their physician about starting an annual prostate exam at an earlier age.
Two tests are usually performed to check for prostate cancer. Neither of these early detection tests produce an absolutely certain diagnosis. That’s the reason a biopsy is usually performed if any of the results are abnormal.
PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) Test: This test checks the amount of PSA, a protein made by the prostate gland, in the blood. As the PSA level goes up, so does your risk of prostate cancer. All that’s required to conduct the test is a blood sample.
Digital Rectal Exam (DRE): It may be awkward, but a DRE can definitely save your life. Just ask the more than two million American men who are living today as prostate-cancer survivors.