Much remains unclear about #prostatecancer, but raising awareness and scheduling a screening for this #cancer is #commonsense. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/03/prostate-cancer-the-things-to-know-110/

September is prostate cancer awareness month. While there’s a lot that still remains unclear about the second most common form of cancer for men, gaining awareness and getting screened for this disease is a no-brainer.

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER, AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT MEN?

Prostate cancer is caused by the abnormal growth of cells in the prostate gland, and is most commonly called an adenocarcinoma. It is the second largest type of cancer seen in men, after skin cancer. About 1 in every 7 men is diagnosed with prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 2015 will see 220,800 new cases of this disease. Prostate cancer is mostly seen in older men, with an average diagnosis age of 66. Though, it is the second leading cause of cancer death in men (first is lung cancer), the survival rates for men with prostate cancer is quite high. The 5-year survival rate for this cancer is 100%, and the 15-year rate is still 94%, which are relatively good odds.

LESS THAN ONE-THIRD OF PROSTATE CANCER DIAGNOSES REQUIRE TREATMENT

A longitudinal study conducted among older men with low-risk prostate cancer revealed that most cases do not require treatment. The study followed up with 1298 men diagnosed with prostate cancer for a period ranging from less than a year to 18 years. They found that men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer had a low chance of dying due to cancer; death in such men is far more likely due to other causes, like heart disease. Thus monitoring, rather than treatment, is the best option for most men diagnosed with this cancer.

MONITORING REQUIRES HEALTH SCREENINGS

Prostate cancer isn’t always a death sentence, and there’s plenty that can be done to better deal with a positive diagnosis. Other than a general awareness of risk factors and symptoms, health care professionals urge men to get the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. It is a simple blood test that gives an indication of the risk for prostate cancer. Though it isn’t definitive, it could be meaningful when combined with risk factors like age, family and medical history.

Compared to women, men are less likely to seek medical consultation. It is therefore important to spread the word about prostate cancer, especially because it is fairly manageable once detected soon enough.

CAN YOU TURN OFF THE CANCER SWITCH?

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PERHAPS NOT, BUT HERE’S SOMETHING YOU’LL ENJOY TOO MUCH TO BOTHER

https://youtu.be/oyhBhu7aq5U

Prostate Cancer: The Things We Ought To Know

Prostate Cancer-Less Likely to Be Treated, and Just as Deadly - http://clapway.com/2015/07/08/prostate-cancer-less-likely-to-be-treated-and-just-as-deadly453/

Turns out that prostate cancer is deadlier for your than you may realize.

Research has indicated that prostate cancer is more likely to be observed rather than treated directly. These observations come from the University of California, San Francisco, where the concerns of overtreatment are being addressed.

The research conducted at UCSF found that men with low-risk prostate cancer are undergoing active surveillance, rather than aggressive treatment, in hopes of curing the illness. This process, called “watchful waiting”, includes with the hopes of avoiding more invasive options such as surgery or radiation.

Some believe that watchful waiting can be more productive in the journey to a cure, as prostate cancer develops slower in comparison to other forms of cancer.

Research data came from study of over 10,000 us patients

The data comes to us from the study of more than 10,000 patients at clinics across the US, from 1990 to 2013. When it came to men ages 75 and older, there was a surveillance rate ranged from 54 percent from 1990-1994; 22 percent from 2000-2004, and 76 percent from 2010-2013. It was revealed through the study that older men exhibited longer periods of watchful waiting.

is watchful waiting really the best option?

While watchful waiting is being considered more as a viable treatment option, there is still division from within the medical community on whether it is the best option for patients with prostate cancer. Cancer.org defines watchful waiting and compares it to active surveillance, suggesting that these two options are different despite their frequent interchangeability. Watchful waiting is described as “a less intensive type of follow-up that may mean fewer tests and relying more on changes in a man’s symptoms to decide if treatment is needed”, while active surveillance involves “monitoring the cancer closely with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests, digital rectal exams (DREs), and ultrasounds at regular intervals to see if the cancer is growing”. Disagreement of definition goes as far as between doctors, as each may have a different perception of the effectiveness and limitations of each form of treatment.

While it is unclear whether there shall be a truly universal definition for watchful waiting, active surveillance, or anything in between, it does seem clear that treatment options for low-risk prostate cancer patients may not stay limited to invasive treatments for long.

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Prostate Cancer-Less Likely to Be Treated, and Just as Deadly