Detecting Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the top three cancers in the United States. 1 out 6 American men contracts prostate cancer during his lifetime. Fortunately, as we’ve become better at treating the disease, the mortality rate has dropped to approximately 1 out of every 34 men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In its earliest stages, prostate cancer is often uncovered by testing the level of PSA or prostate-specific antigen in the patient’s blood. PSA is a substance produced by the normal prostate gland and is found primarily in the semen. However, a small amount of PSA can also be found in the blood. Normal levels of PSA in the blood of men are under 4ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter). Prostate abnormalities can cause the level of PSA to rise to as much as 10 ng/mL. When it rises to between 4 and 10 ng/mL, the patient has a 1 in 4 chance of having prostate cancer. Above this level, if a man has more than 10ng/ml of PSA in his blood, he has a 50% chance of having prostate cancer.

Obviously, having a high PSA is not a guarantee that you have prostate cancer. There are rare instance where men having PSA of below 4ng/ml are also found to have prostate cancer. In certain cases, PSA in the blood increases because a man is taking certain drugs, has infection in the prostate or is getting older. Remember that old age can affect the functions of the prostate, which may cause an increase the PSA in the blood.

A digital rectal exam (DRE) is often used to determine if the prostate is growing to a point where there might be a problem. The prostate is a walnut-size gland located in front of the rectum. It’s relatively quick and easy for the doctor to feel for bumps, size and hardness. Most doctors recommend that men, specially those who are already in their 60s, or even those who are younger but have a family history of prostate cancer, should take this test annually. Any type of cancer found at an early stage has the potential for successful treatment, so it’s best to uncover prostate cancer early and treat it accordingly.

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