One in eight men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that produces seminal fluid. Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the prostate begin to grow at an uncontrolled rate.

“Cancer is often described as a disease of aging because its incidence increases dramatically in older ages,” said Jeffrey Nix, M.D., section chief of Urologic Oncology, professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Urology, and Joe B. Chamblis Endowed Professor for Prostate Cancer Research and Innovation. “This allows for physicians to develop proactive screening protocols, and with appropriate screenings our goal is to catch prostate cancer before symptoms begin, when it is localized and can be cured.”

Current industry standards recommend men get screened at age 55. However, for high-risk groups such as those with family history of prostate cancer, screening should begin at age 40-45.

Risk Factors

In addition to those who are subject to risk hereditarily, a common risk factor in prostate cancer is ethnicity.

African American men are at a higher risk for prostate cancer. The exact etiology, or cause, is unknown; but contributing factors such as biological and socioeconomical influences may play a role.

Men who are less likely to get screened by default are more likely to incur late diagnoses and more negative prognoses.

“Prostate cancer is not as simple as, for example, lung cancer in pinpointing direct environmental exposures,” Nix said. “With no clear environmental culprits that lead to development, it is important to maintain a generally healthy lifestyle to minimize risk.”

Nix suggests following traditional healthy habits; staying away from processed foods, maintaining an active lifestyle and getting screened are the best preventive measures.

Symptoms

Common symptoms include:

• Difficulty urinating
• Blood in the urine
• Pain in the pelvis

While some of these can be crossover symptoms with similar conditions such as bladder cancer or benign conditions of the prostate, it is important to remember that, with appropriate screening, prostate cancer will likely be discovered before symptoms begin. This is why doctors and physicians emphasize the importance of screenings.

“In order to prevent a significant quality-of-life change at the end of your life, we need to be diagnosing you before symptoms manifest,” Nix said. “Symptoms that are present are often indicative of a more advanced stage of cancer.”

Eradicating stigmas through advancements

Men are stereotypically generalized as not as proactive as women when it comes to scheduling general health care visits and standardized checkups. However, this notion is amplified across the medical field and is cause for concern for health care professionals who specialize in conditions that affect men.

Concerns of urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and even feelings of decreased masculinity and vulnerability can all discourage men from seeking screenings.

“For whatever reasons men might choose to not proactively seek care, it is important to educate these men that there are modern screening methods for prostate cancer beyond the old methods,” Nix said. “Men are now being offered more comfortable and advanced options to receive prostate cancer screenings.”

Modern screenings begin with a blood test, and even simple urine tests, to analyze the current risk level. Results of these tests will dictate the need for a magnetic resonance imaging. An MRI of the pelvis or prostate can then determine whether a biopsy is needed.

Historically, treatments involving surgery and radiation, while effective, could also result in drastic changes in the quality of life.

Advances in treatments have allowed doctors to perform surgeries with the benefit of increased precision and modulation. The ability to better aim and modulate radiation allows for the minimization of side effects. Patients are not beholden to just radical surgery or radiation. A much larger treatment menu offers options to a patient to chose what their care looks like, including even focal options.

“Now with current robotic approaches, treatment and surgery for prostate cancer can be an outpatient surgery,” Nix said. “Care from a specialized surgeon can even greatly decrease concerns of incontinence post-treatment, so it is important to not let old dogma about prostate cancer care dictate or deter proactive care.”