Prostate Cancer – Will You Live or Die?

By Rita Hess

Next time you are waiting for the doctor to see you, imagine him entering the room and announcing that you have prostate cancer. His next sentence – either "you'll be fine," or "you're going to die" – depends on you!

This year, more than 100,000 men will find out they have prostate cancer. The ones whose cancer is caught early will be easy to treat, but about half of them will learn their cancer has already spread to other parts of their body.

Detecting prostate cancer is primarily done using two screening methods. One is a rectal exam, a procedure in which your doctor inserts a finger in the rectum and examines the walnut-sized prostate gland for lumps or changes in size. The other is a blood test that checks for high levels of PSA, which may be elevated as a prostate tumor grows. A doctor who suspects cancer may also perform a biopsy to examine some of the prostate tissue under a microscope.

Treatment methods vary depending on whether the cancer has spread beyond the prostate. If the tumor is growing slowly, a doctor may simply recommend careful monitoring. Surgery to remove the entire prostate and surrounding tissues is called a radical prostatectomy. In another kind of operation called a transurethral resection, the surgeon cuts out the cancer but does not remove the entire prostate. Radiation therapy and hormone therapy may be options, too, if cancer cells are found in more than one area.

With a disease this easy to detect killing so many men, don't leave your future to chance. Insist on annual screenings after age 40, and see a doctor immediately if you experience a frequent urge to urinate, difficulty in urinating, or dribbling of urine.

March 2002