Newswise — September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology offers a free brochure to explain signs and symptoms of the disease and as well as common treatments for the disease.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting American men, with more than 230,000 cases diagnosed each year. The disease is most common in men 65 and older and among African-American males, but it's important for men over the age of 50 to have a regular prostate exam and undergo a prostate specific antigen blood test to establish a baseline PSA level so your doctor can monitor any changes. African-American men or men with a family history of the disease should begin regular prostate screening exams at an earlier age.
Signs and symptoms of prostate cancer include changes in urinary flow (such as increased frequency, urgency or hesitancy), frequent night time urination, painful urination and blood in the urine. Other conditions may also cause these symptoms, so it's important to talk with a doctor if you notice any of these any of these signs in order to rule out prostate cancer.
The treatments for prostate cancer include external beam radiation therapy, radiation seed implants, proton beam therapy, hormone therapy, surgery and watchful waiting. A combination of these treatments may be ordered for the patient, depending on the diagnosis and whether the cancer has spread from the prostate to other parts of the body. Because there are so many excellent treatments for this disease, it's important for men with prostate cancer to talk with several cancer specialists, including a radiation oncologist and a urologist, to decide on the best treatment for the patient's disease and lifestyle.
"If caught early, prostate cancer is very treatable and often curable," said Louis Harrison, M.D., Chair of the ASTRO Communications Committee and a radiation oncologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. "Men over the age of 50 should have a regular screening; and if diagnosed with prostate cancer, it's important that patients understand all of their treatment options by talking with several specialists, including a radiation oncology and a urologist."
For more information on treatments for prostate cancer, visit http://www.rtanswers.org or call 1-800-962-7876 for a free brochure.
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 8,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As a leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to the advancement of the practice of radiation oncology by promoting excellence in patient care, providing opportunities for educational and professional development, promoting research and disseminating research results and representing radiation oncology in a rapidly evolving socioeconomic healthcare environment.
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