How Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer Can Fail

nurse encouraging an annual PSA test How Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer Can Fail Since the introduction of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test in the early 1990’s, the medical community has struggled with the issue of over treatment of prostate cancer. The PSA test detects many low-risk prostate cancers that do not immediate treatment.  The treatment protocol for these cancer is called ‘active surveillance (AS).’  The introduction of AS alleviated a good deal of the over treatment but, as the article below shows, men and their doctors need to follow the treatment regimen. When there’s no treatment, it’s easy to forget and the cancer might just turn aggressive. If you are following an active surveillance program, we suggest that you personally track your PSA test with ProstateTracker.  Once you create your ProstateTracker account, you will receive an email reminder every 12 months that it’s time for your next PSA test. This reminder serves as that proverbial ‘string around your finger.’ Read the full article below: Prostate Cancer: ‘Active’ Surveillance Is Often ‘Not’ by: Kate Johnson May 09, 2016 SAN DIEGO, California — Only 1 in 3 men with low-risk prostate cancer receive appropriate follow-up when assigned to active surveillance (AS) of their disease, a new study suggests. The findings […] read more

It’s Minority Health Month: Men Get Tested for Prostate Cancer

National Minority Health Month April is National Minority Health Month presented by the Office of Minority Health.  This year they celebrate 30 Years of Advancing Health Equity. This office addresses disease prevention, health promotion, risk reduction, healthier lifestyle choices, use of health care services and barriers to health care for racial and ethnic minorities. This month we would like to bring more awareness to African American men and prostate cancer.  1 out of 6 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.  For African American men, it is 1 in every 4. More than 230,000 men are diagnosed with this disease and more than 29,000 will die as a result. Prostate cancer is the second most prevalent form of cancer after melanoma. African American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men. They are also almost 2.5 times as likely to die from this cancer. Scientists cannot explain why prostate cancer occurrence and death rates are higher among African American men. Although, it is widely believed that a combination of genetic differences, lifestyle and nutrition habits, and medical care are factors. Below are some ways to help decrease your chance of getting prostate cancer. Exercise Maintain a healthy diet Know […] read more