Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, outside of skin cancer. In 2021, experts at Cancer.net predicted that an estimated 248,530 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men,” assert the cancer awareness advocates at ZERO, “and is the most commonly diagnosed.”
But these numbers may sound more alarming than they actually are. Due to modern advances in treatment, early detection allows patients to live cancer-free for far longer.
When prostate cancer is diagnosed in the regional stage (meaning: when the malignancy is contained within the prostate and close-by organs), Cancer.Net predicts that the 5-year survival rate is nearly 100%. When allowed to spread to the rest of the body, however, the 5-year survival rate is 30%. This means that early screening and early detection can greatly improve your chances of identifying — and beating — prostate cancer.
Screening: Pros May Outweigh Cons
The American Cancer Society acknowledges that “neither the PSA test nor the DRE is 100% accurate.” As a result, these tests can occasionally produce an abnormal false-positive or false-negative result. Beyond the undue anxiety and confusion false-positive results may cause, they could potentially lead to prostate biopsies that later prove to have been unnecessary. Conversely, a false-negative result may give false reassurance when cancer is actually present.
Even with this possibility, a 2020 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicates that the benefits of prostate cancer screening appear to be greater than any potential harm.
“The time has come,” Dr. Yaw Nyame, a clinical fellow of urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine told UW Medicine in 2020, “to rethink the use of PSA testing, particularly in high-risk populations, so that we do not miss the opportunity to improve our ability to diagnose prostate cancer earlier, enhance our ability to treat it effectively, and save more men from serious illness and death.”
When it comes to your decision, the US Preventative Services Task Force recommends staying in close conversation with your health specialist: “In determining whether this service is appropriate in individual cases, patients and clinicians should consider the balance of benefits and harms on the basis of family history, race/ethnicity, comorbid medical conditions, patient values about the benefits and harms of screening and treatment-specific outcomes, and other health needs.”
Overall, keeping up with annual visits with your doctor can play a helpful and important role — allowing time for you to assess and discuss potential test results and consequent follow-up actions together, while also weighing the risks of not getting screened.
Stay In Close Touch
Whether you’re ready to get a regular screening, or still uncertain, if you’re a male 55 years old or older, you’re in the recommended window for testing.
At Heartland Imaging, we’re dedicated to providing state-of-the-art, quality imaging services and compassionate personal experiences. With locations in Louisville and Elizabethtown, our professionally trained and board-certified radiologists are ready to serve your needs. Schedule an appointment online, or call (502) 429-6500.