Prostate Health

Prostate Cancer

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Greenebaum Cancer Center: Treatment Programs
Our Genitourinary Oncology Program takes a multi-modality approach by using a combination of therapies to aggressively treat prostate and other genitourinary cancers.

Prostate cancer statistics:
The fear of having prostate cancer can be devastating to men. However, it is most successfully treated when found early. Consider these statistics from the American Cancer Society:

Sixty percent of all prostate cancers are discovered while the are still localized.
- The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with prostate tumors discovered at this stage is 100 percent, including:
  - 68 percent survive beyond 10 years
  - 52 percent survive beyond 15 years

In the past 20 years, the survival rate for all stages has risen from 67 percent to 93 percent.

Prostate cancer evaluations:
Early prostate cancer may have no symptoms and can only be found with regular prostate check-ups by your doctor. Do not let fear and anxiety keep you from having the tests you need. These tests can often detect, or help rule out, prostate cancer.

Follow-up visits with your doctor are extremely important if you have had an unusual DRE (digital rectal exam), or if your PSA (prostate specific antigen) level is high. Your doctor may order more tests or suggest repeating the PSA tests.

Diagnosing prostate cancer:
Diagnosing prostate cancer is a multi-step process usually consisting of one, or more, of the following evaluations:

DRE (digital rectal examinations) as recommended by your physician -- usually annually for men over the age of 50. Men in high-risk groups, such as African-Americans, or those with a strong family history of prostate cancer, should talk with their physicians about being tested at a younger age.

PSA (prostate-specific antigen) and PAP (prostatic acid phosphatase) as recommended by your physician -- usually annually for men over the age of 50. Men in high-risk groups, such as African-Americans, or those with a strong family history of prostate cancer, should talk with their physicians about being tested at a younger age.

What are some other prostate cancer evaluation procedures?
If the DRE or PSA are unusual, your doctor may repeat the tests or request an ultrasound and other procedures. These evaluation tools may include:

transrectal ultrasound
imaging procedures, such as computerized tomography scans, MRI scans, or others
biopsy

The diagnosis of cancer is confirmed only by a biopsy -- the removal of a small tissue sample for microscopic examination.

This page was last updated on: March 4, 2008.

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