Dr. Paul Gellhaus, urologic oncologist and medical director of robotic surgical procedure at Metropolis of Hope Most cancers Heart Phoenix, emphasizes that worry typically retains sufferers from prostate most cancers screening.
Many keep away from testing as a result of they fear about discomfort or pointless therapy. However early detection by a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) check can catch most cancers earlier than signs seem, bettering outcomes.
He compares it to going to the dentist — uncomfortable however value it to stop greater issues. Even when a biopsy is required, fashionable strategies decrease ache and embarrassment. For many males, a detrimental biopsy with a standard PSA gives long-term reassurance.
Transcript
What’s most essential for sufferers to remove from Prostate Most cancers Consciousness Month, and what would you prefer to see them actually, actually studying?
Yeah, I believe there’s rather a lot for sufferers. I believe there’s a variety of worry. They do not need to discover one thing, as a result of in the event that they discover one thing, then they should deal with it, and possibly they by no means wanted this from the beginning. The method is uncomfortable, embarrassing, possibly painful. However the actuality is, it is sort of like going to the dentist — you bought to get it achieved; in any other case, you are going to get a cavity, and it should be worse. So there’s a variety of worth in doing preventative care.
I believe what’s complicated to the layperson, the on a regular basis affected person, is that they suppose, “Oh, I haven’t got signs. How may I probably have most cancers?” That goes for lots of cancers, however for prostate, it is truly complicated. There is a benign enlargement that causes a lot of urinary signs. However the portion of the prostate that tends to develop most cancers may be very minimally symptomatic — or has no signs in any respect — and that may be deceptive.
The purpose of screening, the entire level, is to detect it early, early sufficient earlier than signs occur. So go get a PSA. If the PSA is regular, you do not have to have a rectal examination, which a variety of guys are freaked out about due to embarrassment and discomfort. In case your PSA is elevated, there are methods to do prostate biopsies that are not painful or embarrassing to expertise.
In case your biopsy is detrimental and your PSA is beneath a specific amount, your threat of dying of prostate most cancers in 20 years turns into lower than 1%, and that’s extremely invaluable. So, I believe it is value it. It is value it to get checked, and if it is constructive, verify whether or not it is most cancers or not, after which you’ll be able to chill out and never fear about this. For the overwhelming majority of individuals, in case your biopsy is detrimental, you’ll be able to really feel reassured — not 100%, however for the overwhelming majority.
Transcript has been edited for readability and conciseness.
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