What every man should know about prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men after skin cancer, and it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men.…
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Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men after skin cancer. And it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, according to the American Cancer Society. The good news is that the survival rate for prostate cancer is improving, likely because the disease is being detected earlier.
The prostate is a gland that makes a secretion called prostate-specific antigen or PSA. The PSA thins the ejaculate, or semen, which allows it to flow more freely. The prostate also contains enzymes that change testosterone to a form more easily used by the body.
All the staff and doctors in the urology department were absolutely incredible. I really got the sense that everyone cares about what they’re doing.
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There is no specific cause of prostate cancer that we know of, but researchers have identified some major risk factors, including:
There is no surefire way to prevent prostate cancer. However, annual screenings are the best way to detect the disease in its early stages, as prostate cancer has no symptoms until the advanced stages. As with any cancer, treating the disease early increases your chances of survival.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends that men have yearly screenings beginning at age 45. Screenings should consist of a digital rectal exam as well as a PSA blood test. If either of these tests is abnormal, a prostate biopsy is performed to detect prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer that is clinically localized or has not spread outside the prostate can be treated the following ways:
For patients who have prostate cancer that has already progressed outside of the prostate, medications are available that limit the body’s production of, or ability to, use androgens (hormones that help prostate cancer growth). For prostate cancers that no longer respond to hormonal therapies, there are chemotherapeutic and other agents that attack prostate cancer cells throughout the body.
We have a multidisciplinary team of genitourinary cancer specialists who work together with one goal in mind — to provide you with the best possible outcomes. The team includes board-certified, fellowship-trained urological oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists and pathologists who will create an individualized treatment plan that meets your unique needs.
UF Health provides targeted MR/ultrasound biopsy using the UroNav Fusion Biopsy System. This technology allows sampling of prostate tissue in a precise manner. UF Health Urology in Jacksonville performs this patient-friendly procedure under short anesthesia, with same-day discharge.
The UF Health Jacksonville cancer program is accredited by the Commission on Cancer, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons.
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