PAPA has a very specific goal in mind to reach out to men with prostate cancer. That’s why we recommend prostate cancer screenings for men. “If you’re diagnosed early, you can slow its growth and side effects”. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It’s also the second most deadly (after lung cancer). Though it is typically slow-growing, it still claims almost 30,000 lives a year, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). The American Cancer Society recommends that men aged 50 and older discuss the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening with their physicians. While prostate cancer has a certain prevalence among African-Americans, men of all races and ages can be diagnosed with it, so anyone with close relatives who were diagnosed young with prostate cancer (before age 65) may need to have that conversation as early as age 40.

Prostate Cancer develops a small bump or nodule on the surface of the prostate, which can be detected during a rectal examination. There are many methods for treating prostate cancer; in most cases, if the cancer is detected early, the prostate doesn’t need to be removed. All men, especially those over the age of 40, should have a routine prostate cancer screening as part of their regular health check up. This includes DRE and PSA testing.

The best way to find Prostate Cancer early is a combination of two tests:

The physician feels for any lumps or other abnormalities through the wall of the rectum.

A blood test measures levels of a protein made only by the prostate. In high Levels, it can signal that cancer is present. While these tests can certainly help physicians detect prostate cancer early, they’re not perfect. For example, “high levels of PSA can also be caused by an enlarged prostate gland, urinary tract infection or recent ejaculation.” Some men can have low levels of PSA but still have cancer.

If prostate cancer has been diagnosed, treatment depends on a number of factors: whether the cancer has spread, the man’s age and health, expected life span, and level of concern about possible side effects. Men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer when they are younger are more likely to receive treatment such as surgery and radiation, while older men with slow-growing tumors or significant health problems may be monitored with a wait-and-see approach.