September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, and Men’s Health Network wants to help your organization observe it with a variety of stickers, pins, posters and more.
Posters and brochures are also available at GetItChecked.com.
One in nine American men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. Among African American men, the number is one in five. It’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men, and men over the age of 40 should talk to their doctor about two screening tools – the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examinations (DRE).
Now, a urine test that detects the presence of cancer and measures its aggressiveness may soon be available. But don’t wait for the urine test to get your prostate checked! miR Scientific’s Sentinel test can replace needle biopsies and return results in just seven days. A validation study will appear in the Journal of Urology’s September issue. The test will potentially reduce 80 percent of biopsies currently conducted and may drastically improve the ratio of men tested.
A simpler, less invasive test may also mean better detection. For men who learn that they have prostate cancer, improved treatment options and better decision-making about treatment therapies may lead to better outcomes. It’s important for men to know which treatments they prefer, and to help their medical partners understand their choices.
A study conducted in Philadelphia called “Helping Men with Prostate Cancer Determine Their Preferences for Treatment,” funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), developed a tool to help prostate cancer patients communicate their treatment preferences to their doctors and healthcare workers. The tool, called PreProCare, was associated with improved patient satisfaction with care, fewer regrets, and better alignment of treatment choices with the patient’s risk.
