The Risk Factors and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
With Dr. Jean Peliska, Advanced Healthcare
The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 189,000 new cases of prostate cancer in males across the U.S.A. will be diagnosed in the coming year. This disease is an uncontrolled division of cells in the prostate gland and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of death in men.
Prostate cancer is found mainly in older men, according to Dr. Jean Peliska, specialist in oncology and hematology at Advanced Healthcare's Good Hope Rd. Clinic.
"The median age for getting this disease is about 70," she said. "And African-American men have a much higher incidence of prostate cancer than Caucasian males. Asian males are at the lowest end of the spectrum," she said. "Family history is another risk factor. The disease does seem to run in families. Is it truly genetic or is the disease environmental in nature? There's no answer to this as yet."
Because the prostate is an organ that shows few signs or symptoms until late in the disease process, if men wait for symptoms it may be too late. "We doctors want to see and screen our patients before they exhibit symptoms of the disease," she said. "Then we can diagnose it and catch it in its very early, curable stages. Beginning at age 50 men need to come in on an annual basis for screening," she said. "If you're at a higher risk, we recommend you come in earlier than 50."
A cancerous prostate gland may become enlarged and press on the urethra, the tube through which urine leaves the body, and/or the bladder, so Dr. Peliska, who treats patients who have metatastic disease, where the prostate cancer has spread beyond the walls of the prostate to other parts of the body, strongly advises seeing a doctor if any of the following problems occur:
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Difficulty urinating
- Dribbling after urinating
- Weak or interrupted flow of urine
- Frequent urination, especially after falling asleep for the night (nocturia)
- Pain or burning during urination
- Painful ejaculation
- Ongoing pain in the back, hips or pelvis
These symptoms, she said, can also be due to an enlarged prostate, which does not necessarily indicate prostate cancer.
"Screening is the only way to catch the disease in its curable stage. There's really no way to prevent it," she said. Treatments, depending on a patient's individual circumstances, include surgery, several types of radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or watchful waiting. The latter occurs when the prostate cancer is slow growing and the patient has other serious illnesses to contend with.
"The medical profession is trying to raise awareness about prostate cancer and get the word out about the importance of screening. Men should come in regularly for physicals. And it behooves the women in their lives--wives, girlfriends, daughters, to convince their men to be screened," she said.
"Good patient/doctor communication is vitally important," she said. "Doctors will give prostate cancer patients the information about the disease and the treatment options they have, along with possible side effects,"she said. "They also should get input from patients about their feelings about the treatment options. If a patient can't discuss this with his doctor, or he feels his doctor isn't listening, for whatever reason, I encourage him to get a second opinion and do his own research. You have to be advocate for yourself," she said.
For research into the disease, Dr. Peliska recommends talking to other doctors and going to the Internet, which she calls an excellent resource. "We usually refer people to the National Cancer Institute's
www.cancer.gov. It's credible and up-to-date."
