SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mt. Vernon issued the following announcement on Sept. 18.
When it comes to a man’s prostate, it really is a growing problem. In fact, doctors say all men will develop at least an enlarged prostate if they live long enough – it’s just part of the aging process.
“As men start to age, particularly in their late 40s and 50s, they can start to see changes in their urinary patterns. This can be in part due to a growing prostate and/or an aging bladder,” said SSM Health Dean Medical Group urologist Dr. Margaret Le.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located near the bladder. An enlarged prostate is known medically as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. It can start out as a nuisance or potentially progress into something more serious.
“When it starts to cause injury to the bladder the changes can be irrevocable,” said Dr. Le. “Taking a long time to urinate, going frequently, and getting up at night often are bothersome, but if left unmanaged it may lead to loss of bladder function. People who are not able to empty their bladder can develop kidney issues, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections. Medications can help and when they fail, surgery is usually the next step.”
The most serious problem of all is prostate cancer, which is the second most common cancer next to skin cancer in men. Men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer have several treatment options among them: surgery or radiation. Any treatment plan will be discussed with your doctor and may depend, in part, on your age.
Prostate cancer can come in several forms such as slow-growing types or more aggressive types.
“Often older men with less aggressive prostate cancer will die from existing medical problems or other natural causes before the cancer can spread due to its indolent nature,” said Dr. Le.
Just hearing the word “cancer” can be unsettling for some people, but Dr. Le says not all forms are the same.
“When you’re talking about screening for cancer, I find most patients are willing to have the discussion. The danger comes in the patients who never have the discussion.”
So how do you detect prostate cancer? If you wait for signs and symptoms, the cancer could be already widespread. Instead, men should talk to their doctors about a prostate screening called PSA testing.
“For men with no family history, PSA testing should be done beginning at age 55 after talking to their primary care physician,” said Dr. Le. “However, those that have a family history of aggressive prostate cancer and/or of African American descent, this testing should be done before age 55.”
The question then becomes when to stop. Critics argue that long-term testing leads to over-diagnosing cancer in men whose lives wouldn’t have been impacted. Dr. Le says that’s why guidelines now say screening for prostate cancer can stop at age 70, when life expectancy is less than 10-15 years or if there are several significant health problems.
There are a lot of opinions on the topic of prostate health and it’s important for all men to be educated. The key is for a patient to get informed, know the family history, and discuss the issue with a doctor.
Original source can be found here.
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