Prostate Cancer

When Should I Be Screened for Prostate Cancer?

Deciding when to get screened for prostate cancer is a decision made by you and your doctor based on your medical history, overall health, and other risk factors.

Men with a high risk for prostate cancer usually get their first screening around 40-45. If you have an average risk, your doctor may recommend waiting until you reach 50.

What’s Included in a Prostate Cancer Screening?

Prostate cancer screenings include a digital rectal exam to check for tumors and a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Since both cancerous and noncancerous tissues produce PSA, high blood levels may indicate a condition other than cancer, such as an enlarged prostate.

What Symptoms Develop Due to Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is often caught before you experience symptoms when you have regular screenings. When symptoms develop, you’ll have one or more of the following:

• Frequent trips to the bathroom at night
• Difficulty starting to urinate
• Weak urine flow
• Pain or burning during urination
• Blood in your urine
• Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection
• Painful ejaculation
• Blood in your semen
• Smaller amount of semen at ejaculation
• Lower back or hip pain
• Swelling or pain in your legs

The severity of your symptoms depends on the size and location of the tumor. While other health problems can cause these symptoms, they’re more likely to signal prostate cancer when multiple symptoms are present, such as lower extremity swelling together with difficulty urinating or ejaculating.

How is Prostate Cancer Treated?

You may not need immediate treatment for prostate cancer because these tumors grow slowly. Your doctor may recommend closely monitoring the tumor and performing frequent PSA tests to determine when the cancer becomes more aggressive.

When it’s time to treat your prostate cancer, you’ll receive exceptional care from our team. We use the latest chemotherapy, oral targeted therapy, and radiation treatments.

As experts in personalized cancer treatment, we offer targeted therapies that directly affect cancer cells and stop their growth without damaging healthy prostate cells.

If you have further questions about prostate cancer, never hesitate to call us. To receive the highest quality of treatment for prostate cancer, schedule an appointment today.