Its time to Drop 'em again. The UroHealth Foundation in conjunction with the Prostate Cancer Educational Council (PCEC) is offering a free community wide prostate cancer screening at The UroHealth Institute. The physicians of the Urologic Surgery Associates will be performing the screening from 8 to 12 a.m. on Saturday, September 24th, 2005. This event takes place on the final day of prostate cancer awareness week. The screening includes an examination by a urologist as well as blood tests which include a PSA, Cholesterol, and Testosterone. The UroHealth Institute is located at 2005 Jacobssen Drive, Suite A in Normal. Call with questions at (309)-888-4000 extention 10. The best prevention against prostate cancer is early detection. Because symptoms of prostate cancer may not occur until late in its course, screening is the first step. African-American men or men with a family history of prostate cancer are at high risk and should begin screening at age 35. All other men should get screened starting at age 40. To find out more about prostate cancer and screening read the following brochure from the Prostate Cancer Education Council.

Drop 'Em

It Could Save Your Life!

1 In 6 Men Will Get Prostate Cancer In Their Lifetime

Prostate Cancer

Below are a few of the many reasons why it is so important to get screened for prostate cancer:

• 1 in 6 American men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.
• Over 30,000 men will needlessly die of prostate cancer this year alone.
• A man is 33% more likely to get prostate cancer than a woman is to get breast cancer.
• Your chances of survival go way up with early diagnosis and treatment.
• If caught early, survival rates are nearly 100%.
• The best protection against prostate cancer is early detection.

Prostate cancer usually has no signs or symptoms, especially in its earliest stages.  Once the cancer has grown, however, it may cause discomfort and a variety of other symptoms.

The prostate gland is a part of the male reproductive system.  Only men have prostates.  It is about the size of a walnut and is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum.   The prostate surrounds the urethra, the canal that urine passes through as it moves from the bladder and exits the body.  The main function of the prostate is to produce the liquid part of semen necessary for ejaculation and sperm function.

Prostate cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the prostate gland.  Prostate cancer usually grows slowly, however, some cancers can grow and spread rapidly outside the prostate gland.

Men age 40 and older are at risk for prostate cancer, and the risk increases with age.  African Americans, for reasons still unknown, and men with a family history of prostate cancer are at highest risk for developing the disease and should begin getting checked at age 35.

How Is Prostate Cancer Detected?

A digital rectal exam (DRE) performed together with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test is the most effective way to detect prostate cancer at an early and potentially curable state.  PSA is produced by both normal and cancerous prostate cells and is measured in a blood sample.  The higher the PSA level, the greater the chance of a man has prostate cancer.  Suspicious PSA tests are usually followed by an ultrasound and biopsy to determine whether cancer is present and, if so, its level of development.

The Prostate Cancer Education Council recommends that men age 40 and older or men at high risk, like African American men or men with a family history of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 35.  Since the late 1980's when prostate screening with the PSA was begun, the 5 year survival rate for men diagnosed with prostate cancer has risen dramatically from 75% to over 99%.

Informed Decision Making

Testing for prostate cancer is a personal decision that should be made by each man with his physician.  The advantages discussed above and some disadvantages of early detection and treatment should be considered, such as:  false-positive results, unnecessary anxiety, unnecessary biopsies and potential complications of treatment of some cancers that may never have affected a patient's health.  Large research studies are going on now to study prostate cancer screening to determine if such screening lowers a man's chance of dying from prostate cancer. 

What Are The Treatment Options?

The first course of action for treating the disease is most often:

• Surgery (Radical Prostatectomy)
• Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy)
• Hormonal therapy
• Chemotherapy

A patient's treatment options depend on the stage of disease, age, physician's recommendation and personal decision.

Advanced Prostate Cancer

There are four categories of prostate cancer disease that would be classified as Advanced Prostate Cancer:

• Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer is cancer that has grown to fill the prostate or has grown through the prostate and may extend into the glands that help produce semen (seminal vesicles).
• Metastatic Prostate Cancer is cancer that has spread (metastasized) to the lymph nodes and/or other parts of the body and bones.
• Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer (HRPC) is prostate cancer that continues to grow despite the suppression of male hormones that fuel the growth of prostate cancer cells.
• Prostate Cancer Recurrence (Rising PSA) occurs in men who have been treated for early prostate cancer, but the cancer continues to progress after these initial treatments.  Often the cancer cannot be detected in bone scans or with other tests with the exception of a PSA blood test.

The main treatment options for Advanced Prostate Cancer are:

• Hormonal therapy
• Treatments for cancer that has spread to the bones
• Salvage radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Adjuvant therapy

The correct treatment choices are different for each man and are based upon many factors which you should discuss in detail with your medical team. 

Currently, no treatments can cure advanced prostate cancer.  But doctors do have ways to help control its spread and minimize related symptoms.  Treatments that slow the spread of advanced prostate cancer and relieve symptoms can cause side effects.  Some patients decide that some of the risks of side effects outweigh the benefits of treatment.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that may cause difficulty of frequency with urination.

An enlarged prostate occurs commonly in men over the age of 40.  About 4 out of 5 men develop BPH in their lifetime.  Experts do not yet know what causes BPH, but the condition may be related to the hormone testosterone and its relationship to other hormones that naturally change during the aging process.  There may also be a hereditary component.

The fact that the prostate begins to grow larger is not necessarily a problem.  In fact, some men have extremely enlarged prostates but suffer no ill effects.  On the other hand, other men have prostates that are only slightly enlarged and they suffer from incomplete voiding, the need to urinate quite frequently, and awaking during the night to urinate.  BPH is not cancer, and does not lead to cancer.

In order to help assess the severity of such symptoms, the American Urological Association (AUA) BPH Symptom Score Index was developed.  This tool includes a series of questions that ask how often the urinary symptoms identified above occur.  This helps the doctor measure how severe the BPH is-ranging from mild to severe.

Because BPH is rarely life threatening, treatment is usually required only if the symptoms are bothersome or if the urinary function is severely affected.   The decision to choose drug therapy, surgical treatment or watchful waiting depends on various factors.  These factors include the severity and urgency of the symptoms, the physician's diagnosis, the patient's overall physical condition and personal desires.

Women, Family and Caregivers

There are two important ways that prostate cancer can and does involve the lives of women, families and caregivers of men.  First, women can make a difference.   Tell your spouse, father, brother, son, or friend to take the time to get a prostate cancer screening including a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) and a DRE (digital rectal exam) and make the appointment for him.  A recent survey conducted by NCI found that over 50% of the adult men surveyed had never even heard of the PSA test even though it is widely used to screen for prostate cancer.  When asked "Why are you participating in this Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (PCAW) screening?" overwhelmingly the response is "Because my wife or children insisted on it."  According to the Wisconsin Medical Journal, men are 33% less likely to visit a doctor than women.  Seventy percent (70%) of people who have not visited a physician in the past year are men.  The fact is-men generally do not seek out the medical care and information they need to live long and healthy lives.  Women, family and caregivers must demand that your man get screened for prostate cancer.

The second way that prostate cancer impacts a man's loved ones is when he gets diagnosed with the disease.  Caring for someone who has cancer is a difficult experience, but there are many ways you can be an active participant in his treatment and recovery:

• Learn About Prostate Cancer
• Participate in His Treatment
• Listen and Talk to Your Man
• Ask Questions of Your Doctors
• Become Your Own Management/Advocate Team

Remember, you are an important part of your loved one's survival team.  A partner's understanding, the support of family and friends, and the advice of a good doctor are all important factors in helping patients along the road to recovery.

Know Your Numbers

The Prostate Cancer Education Council suggests that men keep track of the results of certain blood test results from year to year and to share this information with your doctor.  Studies have shown that noticing a slight increase or change in your PSA test results over time may help your doctor recognize the development of prostate cancer years before it would normally be diagnosed.  Also, the relationship of other health indicators such as:  cholesterol, testosterone, BMI (Body Mass Index which is a measure of body weight and height) may have an affect on your prostate health.

Rates of cancers linked to too much weight are increasing, reflecting the obesity epidemic wracking America.  About 1/3 of new cancer cases this year will be due to poor nutrition, physical inactivity or overweight and obesity.  Obese men run a 50 percent greater risk of developing cancer overall, according to the American Cancer Society.  Although obesity has not been directly linked to a higher risk for prostate cancer, obesity can have a negative effect on many prostate health outcomes.  Research has shown that PSA test results in obese men can be lower, potentially leading to delay in detection and/or treatment; recovery from surgery is more difficult and the risk of dying from prostate cancer can be higher.

Maintaining a healthy body means eating a healthy diet.  This is not only true for health related issues like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease, but also for prostate health.  Studies show that a diet high in fatty foods increases the risk of developing prostate cancer.  Food rich in antioxidants (vitamin E, selenium, and lycopene) have been shown to control cell damage and can play an important role in slowing the development and progression of prostate cancer.

On The Horizon

Currently, more than 200 new therapies are being developed for prostate cancer.  While some of the therapies in the development pipeline are merely improved versions of existing treatments, the number of unique therapies under development is increasing.   There are more prostate cancer therapies in later stages of clinical development than ever before.

In order to receive immediate information regarding clinical trials please go to www.clincialtrials.gov , a service of the National Institutes of Health.

Prostate Cancer Education Council

The Prostate Cancer Education Council (PCEC) is a 501-c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to reduce, and perhaps one day eliminate, the threat of prostate cancer through national awareness and education programs, research and nationwide screening services.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (PCAW), a program of the PCEC, is one of the oldest and most successful national screening programs in history.  Millions of men have received free screenings at screening sites across the country through this national program.  PCAW is held annually the third week of September:

                                                            September 18-24, 2005

                                                            September 17-23, 2006

The ultimate goal of the Prostate Cancer Education Council is to stop the devastation that prostate cancer brings to the millions of people that are impacted by the disease every year.  To be successful, we rely on the support of organizations in a wide number of industries and individuals like you to help further the cause.  To find out how you can become involved, to find a screening location near you, or to receive more information please contact us:

                                                            5399 DTC Blvd., Suite 345

                                                       Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111

                                                            Toll Free: 866-477-6788

                                                                Fax:  303-320-3835

    WWW.PCAW.COM