Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men, striking over 191,000 men this year with more than 33,000 dying of the disease – making it second only to lung cancer as the deadliest cancer in men. Caught early, prostate cancer can be treated, usually successfully. In early stages, prostate cancer has no symptoms, however, so don’t wait for “something bad” to happen to Get It Checked.

This is doubly true in this year of COVID-19. Don’t let the pandemic deter you from getting an easy, fast screening test. Talk to your healthcare provider to schedule a prostate exam this month.

For almost 30 years, doctors have had a powerful weapon in their arsenal for detecting prostate cancer. Now, doctors have a second test as well. In addition to the digital rectal exam (DRE), a physical exam that allows the doctor to feel the prostate, patients can have a simple blood test called a prostate specific antigen test (PSA) that will detect a majority of prostate problems early. Since the PSA has been used, prostate cancer deaths have declined and the number of successfully treated prostate cancer cases has risen.

During September – Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – Men’s Health Network urges  men to talk to their healthcare providers about prostate cancer. MHN also encourages women to get involved and to urge their husbands, fathers, brothers, and other loved ones to talk to their healthcare provider about prostate screening, including the PSA and DRE tests.  The short brochure, What Women Need to Know About Men’s Health, is found at MensHealthLibrary.com.

Let others know about the risks of prostate cancer and the potential benefits of screening. Posters, fact sheets, and a social media tool kit, for use at your place of worship, where you work, and for your fraternity or sorority, can all be downloaded for free at the www.ProstateCancerAwarenessMonth.com web site.

A federally staffed panel of experts, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), makes recommendations about screenings that healthcare providers look to for guidance. The Task Force has recommended that men age 55-69 should speak to their healthcare provider about using the PSA test to screen for prostate cancer. But Men’s Health Network, many other patient advocate organizations, and many healthcare providers think that goes far enough.

Men’s Heath Network urges the following men to talk to their healthcare provider about routine prostate cancer screening:

All men over age 50, and at age 40 for African Americans and others at high risk
Men with a family history of prostate cancer
Veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and
Men exposed to pesticides and certain other chemicals. 

If you are on Medicare, prostate cancer screening is a part of your Welcome to Medicare physical, the free comprehensive physical exam you receive in your first year of eligibility. But you may have to ask for the “Welcome” physical since many healthcare providers don’t seem to know about it. Medicare continues to cover prostate cancer screening in following years.

For younger men, more than 30 states require that insurance companies offering health insurance in their state provide coverage for prostate cancer tests. Insurance companies may offer prostate cancer screening in the remaining states but are not required to do so. 

When you receive your PSA test results, ask the healthcare provider what your PSA number is, write it down, and compare it against future tests. If the number goes up in future tests, talk to your healthcare provider.

The bottom line? Having an annual prostate exam, including a PSA test, just might save your life. No matter what age you are, an annual PSA test creates a benchmark to judge future tests against. 

No insurance and limited funds? Watch for free screenings in your area. Many healthcare providers, hospitals, clinics, and health fairs offer free prostate screenings in September and at other times during the year.

Take any opportunity you can to Get It Checked (www.GetItChecked.com).

Written by Ana Fadich Tomsic, MPH, CHES, Vice President, Men’s Heath Network

Resources:

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: www.ProstateCancerAwarenessMonth.com
Prostate Health Guide: www.ProstateHealthGuide.com
Get It Checked (screening guidelines for men and for women): www.GetItChecked.com
Men’s Health Network: www.MensHealthNetwork.org