Cancer screenings are a highly effective tool doctors use to help detect cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.
The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is used to specifically screen for signs of prostate cancer and can be a good idea, especially for patients with significant risk factors.
It’s still not clear what causes prostate cancer but, as with all cancer, changes develop in a prostate cell’s basic DNA, which then instructs the cell to grow and divide more rapidly than normal cells. Clusters of these cells form tumors that invade nearby tissue and, in some cases, spread (or metastasize) to other parts of the body.
The good news is that statistics show the number of deaths from prostate cancer has gone down since PSA testing became available.
What Does the Prostate Do?
Located just below the bladder, and in front of the rectum, the prostate gland is about the size of a walnut, and is part of the larger male reproductive system.
It, along with other glands, is responsible for producing seminal fluid, a thick secretion that carries sperm out of a man’s body so it can fertilize an egg.
What Is a PSA Screening?
PSA stands for “prostate-specific antigen,” which is a protein generated by both benign and cancerous tissues in the prostate.
The test screens for higher than normal levels of PSA in the bloodstream since cancer cells produce more of the protein than do non-malignant cells.
In addition to the PSA screening test itself, your physician will consider other factors to arrive at an overall risk score:
Your age
Size of prostate gland
How rapidly PSA levels are rising in your bloodstream
Whether you are taking any medication that can skew the PSA measurements
In addition to administering the blood test, your physician may also perform a digital rectal exam (DRE) to palpate the prostate in an effort to detect any abnormalities.
Why Are Prostate Cancer Screenings Important?
Early detection gains cancer patients a huge advantage, and detecting prostate cancer sooner rather than later can provide patients with more options for treatment. And treatments are generally more effective when cancer is found early on.
In some cases, detecting prostate cancer in its early stages gives patients the option to choose a less aggressive treatment, which is less likely to produce certain side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Many patients find reassurance in knowing whether PSA levels indicate they are at risk of developing prostate cancer. For those patients, knowing is better than not knowing.
What Are My Risk Factors?
There are a number of factors that can influence a patient’s risk for being diagnosed with prostate cancer, including:
Age. Men over the age of 50 are at a higher risk than men under the age of 50.
Race. It isn’t yet known why, but Black men are at a greater risk for prostate cancer than other races, and they are more likely to receive an aggressive or advanced diagnosis.
Family History. If a blood relative (e.g. parent, child, or sibling) has been diagnosed, it can increase your risk of prostate cancer. (Also it’s a good idea to discuss with your doctor if you have a family history of genes that can cause breast cancer like BRCA1 or BRCA2, as they can influence risk for prostate cancer as well.)
Obesity. Carrying extra weight may not actually increase your risk for prostate cancer, but it can increase the risk of recurrence post-surgery.
The SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database classifies prostate cancer into three different stages:
Local (no sign the cancer has spread outside the prostate)
Regional (the cancer has metastasized to nearby structures or lymph nodes)
Distant (the cancer has spread to organs farther away from the prostate, such as the liver or lungs)
Here’s the great news: the five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with local and regional prostate cancer is nearly 100%.
When Should I Talk To My Doctor?
Discuss with your physician whether you are a good candidate for PSA and other prostate cancer screenings according to some guidelines:
If you’re age 50 or older and have an average-risk level
If you’re 45 and have a high-risk level
If you’re 40 and have an even higher risk for developing prostate cancer (i.e., those who have more than one close relative who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age)
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggests that, in general, men who are between 55 and 69 years old should definitely talk to their physician about PSA screening. (The organization does not recommend screening for men 70 or older.)
The physicians at Norman Urology are experts in this field and are trained to detect and treat prostate cancer early on.
If you feel you may be at risk for prostate cancer, why not schedule an appointment with us today?