Myths About Prostate Cancer
If you’re uncertain about prostate cancer it’s not a problem. Learn the truth about common myths. The truth could save your life.
Learn the Facts About Prostate Cancer
“Most people don’t think prostate cancer is going to happen to them, unless their father or brother had it,” says Oliver Sartor, MD who is a professor of urology and medicine of Tulane University. Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
In reality, since around 268,000 males in the United States will be diagnosed with the disease in 2022, as per the American Cancer Society (ACS) the odds are for you to know someone who could be affected. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death due to cancer in American males, just ahead of the lung cancer.
Although it’s a gruelling disease that can kill people, most men do not die of it. In fact the ACS states that more than 2.9 million Americans who have received a diagnosed as having prostate cancer are living today.
Despite this fact, misinformation and confusion are commonplace in the process of knowing your personal risk level, and what to do if your doctor states that you have prostate cancer.
“The diagnosis [of prostate cancer] almost always hits people out of the blue,” Dr. Sartor says. “It’s not what you planned on, and, of course, it’s extremely disruptive. For many men who suffer from prostate cancer, cancer can cause an overall mental dissonance What’s the matter with me? What could I have done wrong? What should I take to fix it in the event to ensure that my personal life doesn’t end up threatened?”
When it comes to discussing prostate cancer the emotions of men are often triggered. “What I see all the time,” Sartor says, “is people overestimating the timeframes for prostate cancer. There are some very terrible cancers however, I’m not saying that prostate cancer cannot be a threat. But , it’s not common for people to make distinctions on how their prognosis will be when compared to other people who has the “big C. There’s a certain signs of imminent doom that some patients might experience and this could be the case.”
I hope we can make people realize that prostate cancer isn’t an end-of-life sentence for the majority of us Sartor states. The majority of men die from prostate cancer and not from prostate cancer. One method to clear things up — dispel the myths and fight prostate cancer according to him is to find out more about the nature of prostate cancer is and how it’s treated and who’s at risk of it.
Myth: Prostate Cancer Is for Older Men
Fact It’s certain that most those diagnosed as having prostate cancer are older, it is possible to (and can) affect younger men too. Around 40 percent of cases happen in men older than 65, according to ACS. “It’s not uncommon at all for men in their fifties and some in their forties to have prostate cancer,” says Sartor. (It’s uncommon in males older than 40, however.)
The age at which you must begin getting regular screenings for prostate cancer remains a matter of controversy and uncertainty. It’s best to start talking with the doctor regarding PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening once you’re over 50 years old as the ACS suggests. The only exception is when you have a family history of prostate disease occurs in your family and in that case, it’s best to begin PSA testing earlier, around the age of either 40 or 45.
Myth: My Dad Had Prostate Cancer, So I Will, Too
The fact: “If a man has one relative with prostate cancer, say a father or brother, his chances of getting it are two times higher than someone who doesn’t have this history,” says John Wei, MD Professor of Urology in the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Two relatives with prostate cancer increase the risk by fivefold.
However, not every person who has a family experience or prostate cancer will develop it. If prostate cancer is a family trait consult your doctor regarding when you should begin regular PSA tests. Your doctor may be more adamant about suggesting following-up tests.
Myth: Prostate Cancer Isn’t Deadly
Fact Although the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is very high90%, according to the ACSit’s still the second most deadly reason for cancer death among males. The one cancer that can kill more men than prostate cancer is cancer of the lung. cancer.
The majority of prostate cancers are “indolent,” which means they develop slowly and are usually watched over several years, without any other treatment. But occasionally, cancers of the prostate cancer is aggressive and can grow rapidly.
“While most men don’t have a prostate cancer that’s fast and deadly,” says Sartor, it is a possibility. You won’t be able to tell what kind you’re dealing with until it’s been thoroughly examined.
Also, believing that prostate cancer isn’t a serious issue — and not having any further tests due to this assumptionit could be a fatal way of approaching the illness.
The risks and dangers from the prostate cancer aren’t equally distributed between American males, neither. It’s the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health has reported that African-American males are 2.3 times more likely to suffer from prostate cancer in comparison to white non-Hispanic men.