Men must be proactive when it comes to surviving prostate cancer because symptoms are not always present.

Routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is recommended for appropriately selected men, according to Dr. Samay Jain, UT assistant professor and chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology.

“Prostate cancer is usually advanced when men start to experience symptoms such as weight loss, back pain, blood in the urine and the inability to go the bathroom,” Jain said. “The hope is to find the cancer before it ever gets to that stage so that we can talk about a treatment and cure.”

Jain will discuss prostate cancer screening and treatment options at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17 in the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center at The University of Toledo Medical Center.

The free, public lecture is part of the Tie One On Awareness Lecture Series hosted by the Dana Cancer Center.

“We are going to discuss prostate cancer screening and treatment, really focusing on who we should be screening and who is appropriate to be treated because not all men need treatment for prostate cancer,” Jain said.

Every year, there are about 225,000 new diagnoses of prostate cancer. It is the second most common cancer death in men next to lung cancer and leads to upward of 30,000 deaths a year.

Jain said any man between the ages of 55 and 69 should be screened every other year. Men outside of that age range should discuss it with their physicians.

PSA is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood.

“If you have a first-degree relative with prostate cancer that will increase your risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer,” Jain said. “That seems to be the only real proven risk factor, other than age. As you age, your risk of developing prostate cancer increases.”

Jain said prostate cancer is curable with a decrease in deaths in the past 10 years because of screening and early treatment.

“There is no known way to prevent prostate cancer, although healthy living is going to be what is best for you,” Jain said. “Do what is right for your heart, do what is right for your lungs. Let us worry about the prostate.”

Even though men are sometimes sensitive when it comes to talking about their genitals, Jain said this is no excuse to avoid getting a routine screening.

“The reality is that the prostate is a part of your body just like your heart is a part of your body,” he said. “We have to open the door and break down some of the barriers to discussing these type of topics.”

The Tie One On Cancer Awareness Lecture Series continues this fall. Upcoming Thursday lectures will be:

• Oct. 15 — Dr. Iman Mohamed, UT professor and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, will discuss lymphedema.
• Nov. 19 — Dr. James Willey, lung cancer expert and UT professor of medicine, will present information on lung cancer.

Each person who attends the lecture will be entered into a drawing for tickets to an upcoming sporting event or a gift certificate for spa services. To reserve a spot, email christopher.kosinski@utoledo.edu.

 

Tags: The University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC)