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Men: Take Charge Against Prostate Cancer
 

 
Daily Bread
Do not merely listen to the word...Do what it says.
James 1:22
More than 1.8 million men in the United States are prostate cancer survivors.

Prostate cancer is one of the most treatable types of cancer – if it is caught early. Regular visits to the doctor and screening tests make early diagnosis possible.

About 90 percent of prostate cancer is diagnosed in the early stages. The five-year survival rate for these men is nearly 100 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. “Treatments are most effective when the disease is caught early,” said Eric Balfour, MD, radiation oncologist with Mid-South Imaging and Therapeutics.

More than 1.8 million men in the United States are prostate cancer survivors.

The American Cancer Society recommends annual screening starting at the age of 50 for Caucasian men and 45 for African-American men. Men with a strong family history of prostate cancer could begin testing at age 40. Physicians recommend earlier testing for African-American men because there is a higher incidence of prostate cancer among these men and a higher mortality rate, said Walter Rayford, MD, PhD, a urologic oncologist with Southeast Urology Network.

Evidence of prostate cancer may be found during a digital rectal exam and/or by measuring levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. PSA levels are higher in men who have prostate cancer or other prostate problems. If tests indicate a problem, a biopsy may be performed.

For men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer, there are five main treatment options:
  • Surgery: Surgery involves taking out the entire prostate and nearby tissues either using conventional “open” surgery or laparoscopic surgery, a less invasive procedure.
  • Radiation therapy: Radiation may include external beam, brachytherapy or a combination of both. With external beam radiation patients receive daily doses of treatment for a six-to-eight-week period. Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) uses advanced technology to precisely aim radiation at the cancerous area. Such precision lessens the risk that surrounding healthy tissue will be damaged and lessens side effects, Dr. Balfour said. In brachytherapy, radioactive seeds are implanted in the prostate and deliver radiation to kill cancer cells. Technical innovations employing image guidance (IGRT) are in development to further target the delivery of radiation.
  • Cryoablation: This approach treats prostate cancer by freezing the cells with cold metal probes.
  • Hormonal therapy: The goal of hormone therapy is to lower the levels of the male hormones because they can cause prostate cancer cells to grow. Lowering these hormone levels can make the cancer shrink or grow more slowly.
  • Close observation or “watchful waiting”: Because prostate cancer often grows very slowly, some men (especially those who are older or who have other major health problems) may delay treatment until symptoms develop. The cancer is closely watched with PSA testing.

A new treatment called high intensity focused ultrasonography (HIFU) has recently received Food and Drug Administration approval for clinical trials in the United States, Dr. Rayford said. It involves using transrectal ultrasound with a probe to administer high-intensity ultrasound waves targeted at diseased tissues. It removes the diseased tissue while leaving normal tissues, nerve bundles and muscles intact.

“There are several things on the horizon as far as treatment and exciting things on the horizon for diagnosis as well,” Dr. Rayford said.

Seminar

Baptist Centers for Cancer Care and the American Cancer Society will host a free seminar on prostate cancer risk factors, screening methods, early detection and treatment options on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the seminar rooms located within the hospital at 6019 Walnut Grove Road. For information about registrtion for this event, please click here.

Published: September 19, 2006
Source: Eric Balfour, MD; Walter Rayford, MD, PhD; American Cancer Society
Writer: Elizabeth Todd Bartholomew, MA, APR


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