Disease Without Initial Symptoms to Claim
27,000 Lives in 2017
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Awareness for prostate cancer is especially important since the disease
has no symptoms until it’s advanced. It will claim the lives of
approximately 27,000 men this year. In an effort to elevate awareness,
September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. One in seven men
will be diagnosed with prostate cancer - the most common non-skin,
male-specific cancer. Nearly three million men in the US are living with
a prostate cancer diagnosis; and that number is estimated to reach four
million by 2024 as baby boomers age.
“Too often a simple PSA blood test for prostate cancer isn’t part of a
man’s annual physical exam,” notes Chuck Strand, CEO of Us TOO
International, a nonprofit that provides educational resources and
support services to the prostate cancer community at no charge. “An
elevated PSA level doesn’t necessarily indicate prostate cancer. But
think of it like a ‘check engine’ light on your car. It’s information
that’s good to have for making an informed decision.”
Results from the PSA blood test along with a DRE (digital rectal exam)
may indicate the need for a biopsy, which is required to diagnose
prostate cancer. If diagnosed early, prostate cancer is often treatable.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force provides a “C” recommendation
for PSA–based screening for prostate cancer for men who are between 55
and 69 years of age. Their recommendation does not address testing for
men who are at high-risk for prostate cancer, which includes African
Americans, men with a history of prostate cancer in the family, and
military veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other chemicals.
While 97 percent of the men diagnosed with prostate cancer are at least
50 years old, men who are at high-risk should make an informed decision
about starting annual PSA testing at the age of 40.
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