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UNDERSTANDINGPROSTATE CANCER

WARNING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Many people with prostate cancer have no symptoms at all, especially in the early stages.

EDUCATIONAL SERIES

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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS INCLUDE

• Difficult and painful urination

• Decreased force of urine stream

• Blood in the urine

• Hip and back pain

• Not completely emptying your bladder, which may lead to dribbling of urine

• Having to urinate often, especially at night and feeling the need to urinate even when your bladder is empty

When the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, symptoms can include:

• Bone pain

• Weakness or paralysis caused by compression of the spinal cord

• Weight loss

• Anemia

• Kidney failure

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EARLY DETECTIONMost cancerous tumors in the prostate grow slowly and either do not spread or do not cause harm for decades. When caught early, prostate cancer can be treated successfully in more than 90 percent of cases. Men 50 years old or age 45 for African American men, or men with a brother or father who had prostate cancer should talk to their doctors about screening for prostate cancer.

Two standard tests are used to identify prostate cancer early:

• Digital rectal exam (DRE): In this test, the doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum in order to feel the prostate for bumps or other problems. Many malignant tumors start in the outer part of the prostate and may be found with this exam. Some men find this test embarrassing, but it is quick, relatively painless and helps find several prostate cancers.

• PSA test: A blood test measuring the level of prostatespecific antigen (PSA). Prostate cancer cells make higher amounts of PSA, so measuring PSA levels may help find cancer while it is still microscopic. However, finding higher levels of PSA does not always mean a man has cancer. Benign conditions, such as an enlarged prostate, can also raise PSA levels.

RISK FACTORS Age Prostate cancer is most common in men over 55.

Race African Americans have a greater risk of developing prostate cancer than Caucasians. Caucasians have a greater risk than Native and Latin Americans.

Family history of prostate cancer A man is 4.5 times more likely to get prostate cancer if his brother has it. If his father has it, he is 2.3 times more likely to develop prostate cancer.

High-fat diet Foods rich in saturated fat may raise testosterone levels, which stimulates prostate growth.

Lack of exercise Lack of exercise may increase the risk in men who eat a high-fat diet.

TREATMENT OPTIONSThere are several options to treat prostate cancer, depending on how fast it is growing and where it has spread. Options can include surgery to remove the prostate, radiation therapy or hormone medication. In some cases, “watchful waiting” may be recommended by your doctor if the tumor is slow-growing.

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER? Prostate cancer is a cancerous tumor in the prostate gland, a small walnut-sized gland in men that makes seminal fluid, which helps carry sperm out of the body. The prostate is located beneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine out through the penis.

Prostate tumors can be benign or cancerous. With benign tumors, the prostate gets bigger and squeezes the urethra, interrupting the normal flow of urine. This condition, called benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), is common and not usually life threatening. Prostate cancer, one of the most common kinds of cancer in men, can spread beyond the prostate gland and be life-threatening.

Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in men of all ages and the most common cause in men over 75 years old (men younger than 40 do not usually get prostate cancer). Some men are at higher risk, including African Americans, farmers, tire plant workers, painters and individuals exposed to cadmium.

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