Prostate Cancer Screening

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer occurs when cancer cells develop in the prostate tissues. Prostate cancers mainly develop from the gland cells of the prostate and are referred to as adenocarcinomas.

Who is at risk?

The prostate is a gland found strictly in males, right below the bladder. It has been estimated by the Canadian Cancer Society that 1 in 7 men get diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Men aged 65+ tend to be more commonly diagnosed with prostate cancer.

What are the associated risk factors?

The risk of prostate cancer is mainly genetic or simply cannot be influenced, this includes:

• Age

• Race/Ethnicity (African American men and Caribbean men of African descent)

• Family History

• Gene Mutations (changes)

Despite this, there are a couple of controllable factors that have been potentially linked to disease progression such as:

• Obesity

• Diet

How is prostate cancer screened?

Prostate cancer is mainly diagnosed using a blood test named a prostate specific antigen (PSA) which measures PSA levels in the blood. PSA is a molecule produced by the prostate and is known to be found in higher levels in men who have prostate cancer.

What are the current screening recommendations?

The recommendations for screening change based on the age of the patient

• Men between the ages of 40-45 should consider getting screened depending on ethnicity years

• Men between the ages of 55-70 years old should speak with their doctor before performing the PSA test

• Men above the age of 70 are not recommended to get screened with the PSA test

For more information on screening recommendations concerning screening, you can visit: cancer.ca

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