Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and Early Detection

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month!  Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. ¹ The American Cancer Society’s estimates for prostate cancer in the United States for 2021 are:

• 248,530 new cases of prostate cancer
• 34,130 deaths from prostate cancer

About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.¹ There is a need for a personalized, patient-centered approach to both the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer due to the variations of the condition and multiple treatment options.²  Many healthcare providers agree that the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is not a perfect test for finding prostate cancer early. It misses some cancers, and it sometimes finds cancers that probably never need to be treated.³ Prostate cancer biomarker tests, like the 4Kscore® Test, are useful tools that help healthcare providers and patients make informed decisions. 4Kscore detects the risk of aggressive prostate cancer and can guide a healthcare provider’s targeted treatment plan.

What is Your Risk?

While all men are at risk for prostate cancer, certain factors can elevate the risk:⁴

• Age: Risk increases with age
• Race & Ethnicity: Certain groups, such as African American men, are at an increased risk
• Family History: Close relatives, especially first-degree relatives (father, brother, paternal grandfather, etc.)

Awareness is Important

Increasing public awareness of the importance of prostate health and prostate cancer is a critical step in detection and diagnosis of the disease. It is also important to educate men and their loved ones about risk factors and symptoms of prostate health and prostate cancer.

Knowledge is Power

Several organizations provide valuable patient resources and information on topics such as early detection and prevention, genetic testing for prostate cancer, and even daily eating habits to support healthier living.

• Prostate Cancer Foundation (https://www.pcf.org/)
• ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer (https://zerocancer.org/)
• Prostate Conditions Education Council (https://www.prostateconditions.org/)
• FANS for the CURE (https://fansforthecure.org/)

Click here for more patient information about prostate health and prostate cancer. If you are a physician, click here to learn more about our Urology offering and the 4Kscore® Test.

References

1. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
2. Sharma, Pranav et al. “Biomarkers for prostate cancer: present challenges and future opportunities.” Future science OA vol. 2,1 FSO72. 17 Dec. 2015, doi:10.4155/fso.15.72
3. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/new-research.html
4. American Cancer society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html