Every week at Urology Nevada, the collective physicians at our practice see hundreds of men in the area. Many times these individuals come because a warning sign has arisen, or a symptom has become bothersome. The number of those we see taking proactive steps to safeguard their health is far fewer, and yet, today it is more important than ever to keep prevention and maintenance of men’s health at the top of our to-dos.
Recently, a new analysis released by The Lancet, a collection of medical journals, predicted that prostate cancer cases in the world could double by 2040, rising from 1.4 million in 2020 to 2.9 million by 2040. The American Cancer Society cites that Nevada’s mortality rate for prostate cancer of 19.7% is higher than the nation’s average of 18.8%. While the Lancet analysis indicated worldwide deaths could increase by almost 85% to almost 700,000 in the same time frame and focused on less developed countries, the concern still remains that “true numbers will likely be much higher than the recorded figures due to under-diagnosis.”
Estimates from the American Cancer Society state that one in eight men will be diagnosed in the country. One in 44 will die. The physicians at both Urology Nevada and Oncology Nevada stay up to date in the most recent science in order to bring top-tier, state-of-the-art care and solutions back to our patients. We try to catch symptoms of prostate cancer early, as we know that early diagnoses greatly improve patients’ prognosis, and our methods for screening are both simple and efficient (albeit technologically advanced). While these are certainly startling figures, there is one hopeful one: something like 3.3 million men in the U.S. have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and survived it. Taken seriously, and early, this is a disease that can be beat.
Every June, Men’s Health Awareness Month is observed as a means to remind men to prioritize their health through improved lifestyle choices, reduction in harmful habits, and action in early detection and treatment of severe concerns such as cancer, heart disease, and mental health. From our vantage point at Urology Nevada, the collective practice hopes to encourage more men in northern Nevada to seriously take simple but potentially life-saving steps to safeguard their health. As we have learned, on-time actions can often be late, but early detection actions can be in time to save lives.
We have found that the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test is the most effective way to identify early prostate cancer. PSA is a protein that is normally produced in prostate cells. If it becomes elevated this can be a clue that a man may have a prostate condition such as infection, benign enlargement, or cancer. While an elevated PSA does not diagnose cancer, it is a useful tool for a urologist to start an evaluation to see if this condition exists.
As urologists, we recommend as part of a routine annual evaluation with their primary care physician that men consider having a PSA test be done alongside other routine blood tests. This is to begin at age 50 and continue until at least age 70. For men at higher risk for prostate cancer such as Black ancestry, certain germline mutations, and strong family history of prostate cancer, it is recommended to start at age 40.
Perhaps the single most important takeaway I can leave you with is the need to book a screening. Not all individuals experience prostate cancer symptoms with enough time to halt the cancer’s progress – but screening can catch problems while they’re still relatively easy to manage. Screening starts with your primary care physician and if warranted a referral to a urologist can be made.
It’s unfortunate that there can sometimes be a stigma around this topic, but if you’re over 40, it’s time to put those aside. We encourage men to consider prostate cancer screenings in their early to 50s, but those men who know they may have prostate cancer in their family should be considering prostate cancer screenings once they turn 40.
We understand how easy it is to prioritize all manner of considerations above one’s health… sometimes it feels like there’s no room to focus on it despite what we know about our bodies. But if there’s one thing we can remind you of this month, it’s this: maintaining your health will be easier if you start early. Waiting can have unfortunate consequences.
