Prostate cancer treatments available now are highly effective and survival rates approach 100 percent - when the cancer is detected early.
This is an important message considering that in the United States this year, approximately 218,890 men will learn that they have prostate cancer and nearly 27,050 will die from the disease. Likewise, 50 men in Cayuga County will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and seven of them will not survive it. Medically underserved men are at highest risk for prostate cancer, due to lack of screening for the disease.
While most prostate cancers cannot be prevented because of risk factors beyond a man's control (such as age, race and family history), there are steps that can be taken to reduce risk for the disease. Researchers believe, for example, that eating a high fiber, low- fat diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables daily can help reduce risk for both prostate and colorectal cancers. The second, and most effective way to reduce the risk, is to get checked for it every year, starting at age 50. African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer need to begin annual testing by age 45.
Prostate cancer, like most other cancers, usually has no symptoms in its early stages. With advanced disease, symptoms would typically involve difficulties with urination.
Screening for prostate cancer consists of two steps: a doctor's exam of the prostate gland and a blood test that measures a protein made by cells in the prostate. The blood test is called a PSA, which stands for “Prostate-Specific Antigen.” High PSA levels in a man's blood indicate a prostate problem, but not necessarily cancer.
Since neither of these screening techniques are 100 percent effective, it is the combination of the two that allows for the early detection of prostate cancer.
On Tuesday, Sept. 18, our health initiative known as the Cayuga County Healthy Men and Women Partnership together with the American Cancer Society, Auburn Memorial Hospital, several local physicians, TAP Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson, Inc. will sponsor the fifth annual “Let's Talk About It” program. This event is intended to help medically uninsured and under-insured men ages 45+ (and their spouses or significant others) learn more about prostate health and get screened for prostate cancer. At last year's event, 35 men were screened and several prostate problems were detected.
In addition to prostate cancer screening, the following tests will be offered: skin cancer screening, test kits for colorectal cancer, diabetes testing, and blood pressure checks. The event will also feature individual patient education sessions, educational exhibits, door prizes, give-away items, and refreshments.
To participate in the program, eligible men must pre-register by Sept. 17. Contact Julie Delaney (253-1455) at the Cayuga County Department of Health and Human Services. Delaney will discuss the qualifications for this free program with you when you call.
It is our sincere hope that this program will encourage men to be more proactive about their health and to be effective decision-makers where prostate and colorectal cancer screening is concerned. After all, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer found in American men, next to skin cancer. It is the most common cancer found in African-American men. At some point in their lives, one man in six will get prostate cancer.
We share the American Cancer Society's goal of eliminating cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through education and service.
Elane Daly is director of Health and Human Services for Cayuga County. She can be reached at 253-1560 or cchealth@dfa.state.ny.us
While most prostate cancers cannot be prevented because of risk factors beyond a man's control (such as age, race and family history), there are steps that can be taken to reduce risk for the disease. Researchers believe, for example, that eating a high fiber, low- fat diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables daily can help reduce risk for both prostate and colorectal cancers. The second, and most effective way to reduce the risk, is to get checked for it every year, starting at age 50. African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer need to begin annual testing by age 45.
Prostate cancer, like most other cancers, usually has no symptoms in its early stages. With advanced disease, symptoms would typically involve difficulties with urination.
Screening for prostate cancer consists of two steps: a doctor's exam of the prostate gland and a blood test that measures a protein made by cells in the prostate. The blood test is called a PSA, which stands for “Prostate-Specific Antigen.” High PSA levels in a man's blood indicate a prostate problem, but not necessarily cancer.
Since neither of these screening techniques are 100 percent effective, it is the combination of the two that allows for the early detection of prostate cancer.
On Tuesday, Sept. 18, our health initiative known as the Cayuga County Healthy Men and Women Partnership together with the American Cancer Society, Auburn Memorial Hospital, several local physicians, TAP Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson, Inc. will sponsor the fifth annual “Let's Talk About It” program. This event is intended to help medically uninsured and under-insured men ages 45+ (and their spouses or significant others) learn more about prostate health and get screened for prostate cancer. At last year's event, 35 men were screened and several prostate problems were detected.
In addition to prostate cancer screening, the following tests will be offered: skin cancer screening, test kits for colorectal cancer, diabetes testing, and blood pressure checks. The event will also feature individual patient education sessions, educational exhibits, door prizes, give-away items, and refreshments.
To participate in the program, eligible men must pre-register by Sept. 17. Contact Julie Delaney (253-1455) at the Cayuga County Department of Health and Human Services. Delaney will discuss the qualifications for this free program with you when you call.
It is our sincere hope that this program will encourage men to be more proactive about their health and to be effective decision-makers where prostate and colorectal cancer screening is concerned. After all, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer found in American men, next to skin cancer. It is the most common cancer found in African-American men. At some point in their lives, one man in six will get prostate cancer.
We share the American Cancer Society's goal of eliminating cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through education and service.
Elane Daly is director of Health and Human Services for Cayuga County. She can be reached at 253-1560 or cchealth@dfa.state.ny.us
