4 Things all Seniors Should Know about Prostate Cancer Screening
With September being prostate cancer awareness month, it’s time for all senior men to start informing themselves about the disease and the resources available to them that could help them to determine if they might have, or be at risk for prostate cancer.
1. Talk to your Rhode Island doctor about screening – prostate cancer screening can cause discomfort and be a substantial expense; however, in many cases it is crucial as often symptoms do not surface until the disease has progressed to the later stages. The age to start discussing prostate cancer screening is 40 for those of African American descent, and those with a history of prostate cancer in their families. All other men should speak to their physician by age 50
2. Understand the screening options – there are two main tests used to screen for prostate cancer, which can help detect the disease so it can be treated, if necessary, before symptoms even occur:
• Digital Rectal Exam – a physician places a gloved hand into the patient’s rectum to feel the prostate and determine if any lumps or anything else unusual are present
• Prostate Specific Antigen Test – a blood test that looks at the enzyme levels produced by the prostate, anything above the normal range of 0 to 4.0 may indicate cancer
3. Know the symptoms – even if you’ve decided against preventative screening, knowing the symptoms of prostate cancer can help you to receive medical help when it’s required. The most common symptom is a more frequent need to urinate accompanied by an inability to empty the bladder completely. Some seniors may also find sexual dysfunction or blood in ejaculate fluid
4. Decide whether it’s important to you to receive a diagnosis, preliminary or otherwise – prostate cancer most often moves very slowly in senior men, and the vast majority die of other causes and not the prostate cancer. It’s important to evaluate whether a diagnosis is important to you, because if you choose not to receive treatment, it might just cause additional emotional stress
Via: How To Do Things
Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.
