Health

Early Detection Crucial in Preventing Prostate Cancer

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 31, 2002 / 8:41 AM EST / CBS

A lot has changed in the past 10 years when it comes to the detection and treatment of prostate cancer. Health correspondent Dr. Emily Senay explains.

How widespread is prostate cancer in this country?

One in six US men will get prostate cancer. There are an estimated 180,000 cases every year. And about 40,000 men die each year, which makes it the second leading cause of cancer death in this country. So it's a huge problem, on about the same level as breast cancer for women.

What are the latest developments in prostate cancer treatment?

Surgery remains an effective way to get rid of prostate cancer, and surgical techniques are constantly being refined to make sure that no damage occurs to surrounding nerves and body structures. The biggest advances in recent years have been with radiation treatments. We are now able to focus external radiation beams much more accurately, which allows doctors to provide stronger, more effective doses to the prostate. And we are also seeing a lot of success with a radiation treatment known as brachytherapy, where tiny radioactive seeds are implanted in the prostate to kill cancer cells.

What's new in prostate cancer screening and detection?

There are a number of ways to detect prostate cancer. Digital rectal exam and a blood test called the PSA are the most common. The PSA test--or prostate-specific antigen test--is quick and easy. It's been refined a lot in recent years so that not as many biopsies are needed after initial screening. But even the PSA test is controversial. Some doctors have claimed that since many men will develop prostate cancer eventually, older men will often die from other causes before a slow-growing prostate tumor kills them. And the surgical treatments also have risks for those men. But the bottom line is that for younger men who get the disease at a younger age, screening can help catch this killer early.

When should men be tested for prostate cancer?

Men over the age of 40 need to see their doctors for the dreaded digital rectal exam. Men over the age of 50 need to have both the rectal exam and the PSA test as well. And if you have a family history of prostate or any other kind of cancer, that puts you at higher risk and you need to talk to your doctor about being more vigilant and perhaps being tested even earlier.

Rates for breast cancer are similar to those for prostate cancer, yet more women get screened than men. How can we explain that?

Boys and men are not socialized to take care of their bodies the same way women are, especially with an area as sensitive as the prostate. Many studies have shown that men are reluctant to talk about their problems and seek medical care. That's why it's important for public figures to come out and talk about these problems. It sends a message to other men that it's okay to talk about these problems.