Norwood Lateral Closure - How it may affect your drive to The Urology Group. Click for alternate routes.

It’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: Call Your Urologist

September 21, 2021 | By: Dr. Michael Dusing

People get up super early to wait in line for a Black Friday sale, they arrive at the airport extra early to avoid missing a flight, and some will even finish a work project early just to get it off the desk.

So why procrastinate one small act that could determine life and death?

A prostate screening is just that: A minor undertaking that could ensure the patient is successfully treated for prostate cancer. Nearly 248,600 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2021, according to the American Cancer Society.

Yet more than 34,100 men are expected to die from the disease in 2021. If caught early, your survival rate increases dramatically.

So, put a screening on the calendar – for you or a loved one. September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, a whole month has been dedicated to improving our understanding of this disease.

Ready for your screening? This is what you can expect.

I’m Your Prostate – I’m Bigger Today Than Yesterday

Just because a man feels healthy doesn’t mean his prostate is healthy. The prostate begins steadily growing at around the age of 25, and it never stops, which can make it more vulnerable to abnormal cell growth.

This growth is very slow-going, however, so symptoms of prostate cancer can be hard to recognize. These symptoms include increased urination, a weak urine stream, and difficulty with starting and stopping. Men with prostate cancer may also experience blood in their urine or semen, and pain in the lower back.

An early screening can detect prostate cancer even before the patient experiences symptoms. Common screening options include:

  • A digital rectal exam (DRE): The urologist inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the patient’s rectum to feel the prostate gland. This part of the exam lasts mere seconds.
  • A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test: A blood sample is taken to gauge antigen levels in the prostate, which tend to elevate when cancer is present. Research conducted in 2017 concluded that a PSA test can reduce prostate cancer mortality by nearly 30%. 

If the results are abnormal, the doctor may prescribe an ultrasound or biopsy.

Older Men and Black Men at Greater Risk

Despite the high recovery rates among men whose prostate cancer is detected early, just 39% of men aged 55 to 69 underwent a PSA screening in 2018 (most recent research available). Among non-Hispanic Black men, it was 37%.

That decline is likely because in 2018, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended to slow PSA screenings, urologists are concerned this has led to a growing trend in patients presenting with advanced prostate cancer.

But as urologists, we know that if found early, prostate cancer is not only more effectively treatable, but the patient also is able to explore more options for treatment.

Early Detection Means More Choices

This month, let’s strive to raise these figures for two key reasons:

  • Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men. Roughly six cases in 10 are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older, with the average age at 66.
  • Black men are 50% more likely to develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes, and twice as likely to perish from it.

Other risk factors include genetics (family history), diet, obesity, and smoking.

Treatments can range from observation – some prostate cancers are so slow-growing they may not even cause symptoms – to prostate removal.

The earlier the screening, the better. Then you and your loved ones can enjoy the things in life that are worth waiting for.

Learn more about prostate cancer, diagnostics, and treatments by visiting our dedicated page here.

Recent Featured Blog Posts

  1. You Have Only 1 Prostate. But Multiple Treatment Options Are Available

    Just because something is common, it isn’t necessarily easy to live with. Ask any man after first experiencing the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is common. Nearly half of all men experience symptoms of BPH by the age of 60, and it’s among the leading conditions for which men make appointments with The Urology Group.  Still, prevalence doesn’t…

    Read More
  2. Is It a Kidney Stone, Or Something Else? 6 Signs

    If you’ve never experienced the pain of a kidney stone, try shooting an olive pit through a peashooter. That’s what it’s sometimes like when a stone passes through the two narrow tubes, called ureters, that connect the kidneys to the bladder. It can hurt a lot – so much so that pain is typically the…

    Read More
  3. Nocturia: The Causes of Frequent Nighttime Bathroom Visits

    There’s a good chance you know someone who lives with nocturia; it affects more than half of anyone older than 50, and up to one in three people older than 30.

    Read More

Virtual Assistant

Virtual Assistant

How may I assist you today?

I need help with ‘Directions & Hours’
(Please select a location from the list below)
I need help with ‘ Billing Questions’
(Please select an option below)

I need help with ‘Billing Questions’

What number should I call to pay my bill?

If your bill is from The Urology Group, please call (513) 841-7474 to pay your bill.

If your bill is from The Urology Center, please call (513) 841-7475 to pay your bill.

I need help with ‘Making, Rescheduling or Confirming an Appointment’

If you would like us to call you to set up an appointment, please click here to request a call back.

If you would like to call us, please call
513-841-7400
to speak with a representative.
Our hours are:

Monday-Friday: 7:30am – 5:00pm

I need help with ‘Questions About Test Results’

please call us at:

513-841-7400

Our hours are:

Monday-Friday: 7:30am – 5:00pm

I need help with ‘Medication Refills’

please call us at:

513-841-7400

Our hours are:

Monday-Friday: 7:30am – 5:00pm

I need help with ‘Returning a Call from the Office’

please call us at:

513-841-7400

Our hours are:

Monday-Friday: 7:30am – 5:00pm

I need help with ‘A Copy of My Medical Records’

please call us at:

513-841-7400

Our hours are:

Monday-Friday: 7:30am – 5:00pm