Perhaps without fully realizing it, we push ourselves aside.  

It is only when an ache, pain or a cough will not go away that we finally relent to the prodding of a spouse, relative, or friend and we make an appointment.

This seems to be especially true for men. But the danger in waiting is that some diseases do not always have symptoms to tip us off that something is wrong.  

This is true for prostate cancer, which usually causes no symptoms.

In fact, by the time a person with prostate cancer feels pain (often in the spine, pelvis and ribs), it is usually already in the advanced stages of the disease.  

Occasionally, early symptoms do occur which include frequent urination, increased urination at night, difficulty starting and maintaining a stream of urine, blood in the urine and painful urination.

The fact that one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and that African-American men in particular are 60 percent more likely than Caucasian American men to develop the disease, is it really worth the risk of waiting to feel pain before going to the doctor?

According to Wikipedia, prostate cancer is a disease which develops in the prostate gland in the male reproductive system, when cells mutate and multiply out of control.  

The cells can metastasize (or spread) from the prostate to other parts of the body, such as the bones and lymph nodes.  

It is most common in the United States, and is the second leading cause of death among men, next to lung cancer.  

“Prostate cancer is estimated to constitute 25 percent of cancer diagnoses in men, with 186,320 new cases predicted for 2008,” said Dr. Charles Holladay, an oncologist with Charleston Cancer Center.

“Generally, by the time a prostate cancer causes symptoms, it has spread beyond the prostate gland and is incurable.  The importance of screening and early detection is to find the cancer while it is still confined to the prostate gland and curable,” he added.

In addition to family history, age, race, diet and exercise are also known risk factors which can help men understand more about their chances of developing prostate cancer.  

According to the American Cancer Society, the greatest risk factor for prostate cancer in addition to gender, is age.  

Risk increases after age 50 in Caucasian American men with no family history of the disease and after age 40 in African- American men, and men who have a close relative with prostate cancer.   

Having a brother with prostate cancer appears to increase a man’s risk more than having an affected father does.  

There is also a higher risk when multiple family members are affected. For these men, screening for prostate cancer should start at age 40.

“African-American males, for reasons that are unclear, have a higher risk for development of prostate cancer,” said Dr. Holladay.  “These individuals tend to develop their cancers at an earlier age than to other men.  

In addition, African-American males tend to present with more advanced disease at earlier ages than do non-black males.  For this reason, individuals of African ancestry  and those with a strong family history of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 45,” he added.  

A diet high in animal fat may also play a role in the development of prostate cancer.  

Some studies show that eating more lycopene, an antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon, can reduce one’s risk of developing the disease.  

Incorporating regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are also thought to reduce a man’s chances of developing the disease.

The screening method which most often detects the presence of prostate cancer is the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening.

This simple blood test, which takes only a few minutes, involves giving a small sample of blood which is used to test for the PSA level, (the PSA being an enzyme produced by the prostate).

The risk of prostate cancer rises with increasing PSA levels, but a person does not necessarily have the disease if his levels are high.  

Other explanations for high PSA levels could be enlargement of the prostate and infection of the prostate, the use of medications to treat enlargement of the prostate and even higher-than recommended doses of multivitamins.

Call 797-FIND or toll free at 1-866-TRIDENT to schedule an appointment.

If you do not have a physician and have questions, you can call Trident HealthFinders for a free physician referral.

For more information about prostate cancer, visit www.cancer.org or www.fightprostatecancer.org.  

For more information about cancer services available at Trident Health System, visit www.tridenthealthsystem.com.

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