The best way to beat back prostate cancer is to screen for the disease

NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, August 30, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month reminding men that the best way to win a battle with prostate cancer is to screen for this disease.

Dr. David Samadi, men’s health expert, and urologic oncologist for St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, New York, and author of The Ultimate MANual: Dr. Samadi’s Guide for Men’s Health and Wellness, also wants men to know the importance of regular screening, beginning at age 40.

“There is no better time than today to remind men to schedule a screening,” recommended Dr. Samadi. “Other than skin-related cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in American men and is a leading cause of cancer death of men other than lung cancer. Currently, one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, African-American men’s odds are higher, with a one-in-three chance of being diagnosed with this disease. As a result, more than 34,000 men will die from prostate cancer this year when early detection could have saved lives.”

Unfortunately, many men were not screened regularly for prostate cancer early on during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Recent studies have shown that weekly cancer screening for prostate cancer declined by as much as 63.4% during April 2020,” said Dr. Samadi. “That’s a huge and concerning drop. Prostate cancer is a silent killer with few if any, symptoms. During the pandemic, men skipped going to prostate cancer screenings. Now that they have returned, we’re beginning to see very aggressive prostate cancers diagnosed at later, less treatable stages.”

A simple blood test and a vital tool for detecting prostate cancer is called the prostate-specific antigen test or PSA test. The PSA may not be perfect, but it can help diagnose, assess the risk, and monitor prostate diseases such as cancer.

Dr. Samadi says to start by talking with your doctor. Men wanting to learn more about PSA testing should begin conversations with their primary care physician.

“The age as to when to start PSA screenings has been hotly debated; I strongly recommend men to have a baseline PSA screening at age 40,” advises Dr. Samadi. “While the average age of a prostate cancer diagnosis is 66 years, men younger than fifty can develop prostate cancer, and when they do, it’s often a faster growing, more aggressive and difficult cancer to treat.”

Dr. Samadi also advises men to ask their healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of PSA screening and be aware of risk factors increasing their risk of this disease, which include the following:

• Family history of prostate cancer, especially if your father, brother, or other relative was diagnosed with this disease
• African-American ethnicity
• A high Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Older age
• Previous health history

What is PSA, and why should it be tested?

Prostate-specific antigen is a protein in the blood produced by normal and cancerous cells in the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in blood. The test can be performed at the doctor’s office by drawing a blood sample which is then sent to a laboratory for analysis. The blood sample from a man is used to monitor the PSA levels produced by the prostate.

When done regularly, urologists can review and detect spikes or elevations in a man’s PSA level, known as PSA velocity. This rate shows how a man’s PSA levels change over time. PSA mapping helps determine if any changes or elevations are a cause for concern, possibly indicating prostate cancer.

A higher than normal PSA test does not necessarily mean a man has prostate cancer since several things can affect PSA levels. Here are other possibilities for an elevated PSA besides prostate cancer:

• An inflamed prostate is known as Prostatitis
• Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• Any injury to the prostate
• Specific treatments can elevate PSA, such as prostate biopsies (tissue samples) or cystoscopy, a test to look inside the urethra and bladder

Other specific factors can also influence the results of a PSA test:

• Older men’s blood PSA levels tend to rise with age
• Men with a larger prostate make more PSA
• Changes in PSA levels over time (known as PSA velocity) can be markers of cancer risk and how quickly a cancer is growing.

For an accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer, a prostate biopsy is required. Based on PSA test results, men and their healthcare providers will decide to have a prostate biopsy taking into consideration certain factors such as family history or results of prior biopsies.

“Prostate cancer screening may sound scary, but the vast majority of men, about 99%, who contract the disease, survive going on to lead a healthy, quality life,” exclaimed Dr. Samadi. “The pandemic should not discourage men from an easy and fast screening test that can save their life. So make an appointment today to have your prostate screened.”

The Ultimate MANual, Dr. Samadi’s book, is now available online both at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Follow Dr. Samadi on Twitter (@drdavidsamadi), Facebook, and Instagram (@drdavidsamadi).

Anyone wishing to learn more about Dr. David Samadi’s book, Prostate Cancer, or any Men’s Health topics for interviews or other media appearances can contact him here:

Phone: 212-365-5000
Email: dsamadi@drsamadicenter.com

Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital on Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board-certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. Dr. Samadi is a medical contributor to NewsMax TV and the author of The Ultimate MANual, Dr. Samadi’s Guide to Men’s Health and Wellness, available online on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncology and prostate cancer 911.

David Samadi
Madison Urology
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