September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men.

This month is a reminder to be proactive, with a take-charge approach to prostate health. This awareness and action could make all the difference in the effort to catch any problems early and to minimize the probability of a more complicated diagnosis, serious side effects of treatment, and the worst-case scenario: death. Knowledge is power.

Fast Facts

The death rate has dropped by more than half from 1993 to 2017 because of screening and treatment advances. An individual man’s survival depends on the type of prostate cancer and the stage and grade of the disease.

Risk Factors

All men are at risk for prostate cancer in their lifetime. In addition to age, certain factors increase the chances of developing the disease.

Family History

Prostate cancer can run in families. Familial prostate cancer makes up about 20 percent of all prostate cancers. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing the disease. However, most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history.

Race/Ethnicity

African American men and Caribbean men of African ancestry develop prostate cancer more than other races. Prostate cancer occurs less often in Asian-American and Hispanic men than in non-Hispanic white males.

Geography

Prostate cancer is most common in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia, and in the Caribbean Islands. It is less common in Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America.

Diet

While the exact connection between diet and prostate cancer is not clear, it has been suggested that men who consume a lot of calcium — whether through food or supplements — may have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

Screening

The importance of screening is to detect an issue before it turns into something more serious. If you fall into any of the risk categories, you should begin getting screened for prostate cancer yearly around 45 years of age. If you don’t meet any of the risk factors, screenings should begin around age 55. The frequency will depend on a couple of factors.

The main screening test is the PSA test. It stands for Prostate Specific Antigen test – it is a routine blood test that determines the general health of the prostate gland.

The normal range is generally 0-4 ng/ml. If prostate cancer is not detected, the time between future screenings depends on the results of the PSA blood test. Screening is recommended to be done on an annual basis to monitor one’s prostate health.

Because prostate cancer often grows slowly, men without symptoms of prostate cancer who do not have a 10-year life expectancy should not be offered testing since they are not likely to benefit.

It is common for men over the age of 50 to have an elevated PSA, but that does not necessarily mean a prostate cancer diagnosis. In most cases, it means an enlarged prostate, which is usually benign and can be treated easily.

Any Lab Test Now offers the PSA screening test.  You do not need to visit a doctor first before you take the test, and results generally take 24 to 72 business hours. You can learn more about the test here.

Signs and Symptoms

In its early stage, prostate cancer presents no symptoms — one reason why regular screenings are important.  However, in later stages of the disease, men may experience any number of the following warning signs.

  • Frequent urination
  • Weak or interrupted urine flow or the need to strain to empty the bladder
  • The urge to urinate frequently at night
  • Blood in the urine
  • Blood in the seminal fluid
  • New onset of erectile dysfunction
  • Pain or burning during urination, which is much less common
  • Discomfort or pain when sitting, caused by an enlarged prostate

Other noncancerous conditions of the prostate, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or an enlarged prostate, can cause similar symptoms. Urinary symptoms also can be caused by an infection of the bladder or other conditions.

If cancer has spread outside of the prostate gland, a man may experience:

  • Pain in the back, hips, thighs, shoulders, or other bones
  • Swelling or fluid buildup in the legs or feet
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Fatigue

If you have any of these symptoms, it is important that you speak with your doctor as soon as possible.

Be at Ease

Any Lab Test Now wants you to be at ease when it comes to getting a medical test like the PSA screening during the COVID-19 pandemic.   We provide you a safe and clean alternative location for lab work.  Each of our 185+ stores is sanitized several times a day, in accordance with the CDC’s protocols. Any Lab Test Now is a committed partner in helping you manage your family’s healthcare so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life. We want to put you at ease during the coronavirus outbreak. We are here to help.

Find your closest Any Lab Test Now store at www.anylabtestnow.com.

Should Men Consider PSA Testing?

In years past, there has been controversy in the medical community over the importance of PSA Testing. Critics of testing claim that it can lead to “over treating” prostate cancer. Proponents of testing point to the fact that, if detected early, prostate cancer is treatable 100 percent of the time. Which is correct? How do men evaluate if they should be tested?

How Can You Over Treat Cancer?

To make a more informed decision, it’s important to understand what is meant by over treating prostate cancer. One attribute of this type of cancer is that it is commonly slow growing. This means that it can oftentimes take many years before it ever impacts a man’s other organs. Until it does, it is unlikely that the cancer will cause any serious medical complications or discomfort.

Consider what might happen to a man who is in his late 60s, or to a man who might already be struggling with a more severe medical issue, and undergoes PSA testing. When the results come back and indicate prostate cancer, the reaction is to get rid of it. No one wants to have cancer.

However, remember that the cancer is slow growing. This means that it could take a very long time for him to experience any discomfort or reduced quality of life because of it. So, should a man that might never encounter the negative side-effects of prostate cancer because of his age or current medical state put his body and mind through the strain of treatment? Obviously, this is a personal decision to be considered after conversation with the man’s doctors and loved ones. But, this scenario is considered “over treatment.”

What About the 100 Percent Treatment Rate?

While over treatment can be a concern, there are real advantages to identifying and treating prostate cancer early. There are three stages of prostate cancer – local, regional and distant. In the local stage, cancer has not spread beyond the prostate. In the regional stage, it has spread only to areas nearby. In each of these cases, the survival rate at 5 years is nearly 100 percent.

However, by the time prostate cancer reaches the distant stage, it may be impacting the lymph nodes, bones or other organs. The survival rate at five years for those diagnosed in the distant stage drops to only 29 percent. That is why testing proponents believe PSA testing is critical once men reach age 40: It may help doctors identify prostate cancer before it reaches the distant stage.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

There are a variety of treatment options available for those who are diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Which option men pursue will depend upon conversations with their doctor about the benefits and risks, as well as at which stage the prostate cancer is diagnosed. Options include surgery, radiation treatment, high-intensity focused ultrasounds or hormone therapy.

In fact, because prostate cancer is slow-growing, there are many instances when a patient may not even require immediate treatment. This method of “watchful waiting” or “active surveillance” is a very real option for some men. It means that they can have knowledge about their medical health, but not necessarily take any physically or emotionally stressful measures to resolve it unless their test results start to change.

Having this less-invasive treatment option is one of the key reasons why men should be tested. The testing establishes a PSA level baseline against which they can be monitored for years to come.

New Research on PSA Testing

Because of the mixed views regarding PSA Testing, men can sometimes feel uncertain about how to proceed. Fortunately, new research is being done to help assess whether PSA Testing is a necessary option for men. The latest research re-examined the methods used in the previously completed PSA Testing clinical trials. When researchers did this, they discovered that both trials indicated a more than 30 percent “lower risk of prostate cancer death thanks to screening.” This reaffirms the need to establish a PSA level baseline and begin monitoring prostate health earlier in a man’s life.

No one wants to learn that they have cancer of any type, but knowing means having options! So, don’t wait for the odds of getting prostate cancer to get higher with age before you get tested. Instead, stop into your local Any Lab Test Now to start establishing a PSA baseline now.

Get To Know The Facts About PSA Testing

What do you know about Prostate Specific Antigen, PSA testing? Many argue over the necessity of the test. However, one thing is non-debatable: your health is important.

First, it is important to understand and become aware of what exactly PSA testing is. PSA, prostate specific antigen, is produced by a man’s prostate gland. When the test is conducted, it measures the level of PSA in his blood. If the levels are elevated, it is potentially a sign of prostate cancer.

In addition to prostate cancer, a large number of noncancerous conditions such as an enlarged prostate can be found by an elevated PSA blood level. Who should have a PSA test completed?

“Men over the age of 50 should talk to their doctor about their personal risk of developing prostate cancer and the benefits and risks of having a PSA test.”

Proactive blood testing can help you monitor your levels and possible detect and treat disease before it’s too late.  You might also want to consider a PSA test before the age of 50 to establish a baseline for future testing.

Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer

You’re the man and you are invincible! But just because you feel invincible doesn’t mean that you’re 100% healthy. There are numerous conditions that affect a man’s health and prostate cancer is one of them. Let’s say maybe you don’t know what your prostate is or what it does, you are definitely not alone: most men don’t! But it’s something you really should take the time to learn a little more about.

According to the Men’s Health Network, over 30 million men suffer from prostate conditions that affect their quality of life and not in a good way. The CDC reported that in 2009 206,640 men in the United States were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 28,088 men died from it. This specific type of cancer is dangerous for the simple fact that it can sneak up on you some times showing no symptoms until it is in its advanced stage. That is when establishing a baseline and having frequent screenings come in handy.

“So how do I know when and if I should get screened?” In order to figure out when to get screened you need to take into consideration one of the main risk factors which is age. Though many doctors will recommend you get screened around age 50, no matter what age you are, all men need a PSA Test to establish a PSA “baseline”. Establishing a baseline at a younger age can help you monitor any changes in your PSA levels, which can result in early detection. Other risks include family history (a man with a father, brother, or son who has had prostate cancer is two to three times more likely to develop the disease himself) and race (according to the CDC African Americans are more likely to develop prostate cancer and have more than twice the risk of dying from it than any other race).

Now that you know these risk factors you must be telling yourself “I am around that age and I fit the description of the other risk facts, now what?” The easiest way to get you started is by getting a PSA test. This test is one of the easiest ways to detect any prostate problems. The test looks for PSA, a substance that may be found in high amounts in men with prostate cancer. However, a high PSA level does not always mean that a man has prostate cancer. High levels can also indicate an enlarged or inflamed prostate. Making this test the best 3 for 1 punch for your prostate health! Is the question “where can I get this test?” popping into your health? ANY LAB TEST NOW® offers PSA lab testing along with additional lab testing options that help you Take Control of Your Health®. Additional lab testing options include the Comprehensive Male Panel.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month! Help create awareness about this disease by setting an example and getting screened. Make blue look cool, Take Control of Your Health® and check-in on your PSA levels today! To learn more about ANY LAB TEST NOW®’s lab testing options stop by a location  near you or visit www.anylabtestnow.com