Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 

During the entire month, various awareness campaigns and activities to promote are conducted by several organizations across the world to understand the early diagnosis, treatment, and preventive tips for prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer Awareness campaigns are mainly focused on encouraging the male population posing with high-risk factors to take preventative measures for their prostate health, to avoid any risk of prostate cancer and any conditions which could lead to prostate cancer in the future.

Importance of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Scarce types of cancers can be prevented 100% when detected early.

Acknowledging the fact that prostate cancer is responsible for the increased death toll over the years is disheartening when it was understood that each patient could be saved and every death could be prevented 100% – only if proper awareness was as widely spread as breast cancer awareness

For early detection of prostate cancer, men must be actively screened. Although the screenings are done, they could accelerate a thousand-fold only if the awareness of prostate cancer is rampant and when people can understand this is completely preventive, and thus, awareness can be life-saving.

This explains the necessity and importance of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Theme

This year, 2023, the Prostate Cancer Awareness Month theme is “Know Your Risks”. The theme highlights the importance of regular check-ups, sharing information about risk factors and symptoms, and providing support to those affected by prostate cancer.

Encouraging the male population, mainly old age those who are at high risk to take preventative measures for their prostate health, to avoid any risk of prostate cancer and any conditions which could lead to prostate cancer in the future. Providing the male population with the knowledge of Prostate Cancer helped them understand the awareness and early diagnosis to avoid the affliction.

Hope for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Despite the impending death toll, hope for change can still be expected with the awareness campaigns. According to a 2018 study, males would respond to a gender-specific health promotion campaign. Men are willing to respond to the masculine motivation in improving poor health behaviors, such as invoking nostalgia from earlier sporting experiences. Prostate Cancer Awareness Month (PCAM) may be able to leverage these masculine-focused techniques to remove the negative stigma associated with men’s health advocacy.

Preventative measures for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is primarily a “disease of aging” which means in the proportionality of increasing the chances of developing prostate cancer with age. Along with uncontrollable factors such as age, race, and genetics, there are also controllable factors that can help in the reduction of prostate cancer risk. They include:

Diet and Lifestyle
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Stop Smoking and Drink Less
Increase vitamin D
Staying Sexually Active

Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

The prostate gland is a part of the male reproductive system, it is about the size of a walnut surrounds part of the urethra, and is situated in front of the rectum, just below the bladder. The following diagnostic tests are used to detect prostate cancer:

Physical Examination – The doctor will first take the medical history, health habits, past illness, and treatments then will do a physical examination of the body to check the lumps or any other signs of disease

Digital rectal examination (DRE) – The doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum and feels the prostate through the rectal wall to check for abnormal areas or lumps.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test: Prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by the prostate gland. The Prostate-specific antigen test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood. The blood level of PSA is often elevated in men with prostate cancer, apart from this other non-cancerous conditions such as prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlargement of the prostate can cause an elevation in PSA level.

Transrectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): A transrectal MRI is done to find out if the cancer has spread outside the prostate into nearby tissues. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).

Transrectal ultrasound: Transrectal ultrasound is used to look for abnormalities in the rectum and nearby structures. An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum to check the prostate. The probe bounces sound waves off body tissues to make echoes that form a sonogram of the prostate. It is also called endorectal ultrasound.

Transrectal Biopsy: A transrectal biopsy is used to diagnose prostate cancer and determine Gleason score in addition to stage to help plan treatment. This procedure is performed either by using transrectal ultrasound called as transrectal ultrasound-guided prostatic biopsy or by MRI called transrectal MRI guided biopsy.

A transrectal biopsy is the collection of tissue samples from the prostate by inserting a thin needle through the rectum wall and into the prostate. Sometimes a biopsy is done using a tissue sample that was removed during a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) to treat an enlarged prostate

TRUS prostatic biopsy was performed in men with a rapidly increasing PSA level and a palpable abnormality on a digital rectal examination (DRE). TRUS is a highly sensitive diagnostic modality for rectal wall involvement in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer.

Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer treatment options and recommendations depend upon level of PSA in blood, Gleason score, Grade, first-time detected or recurrent, such as – medical management, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, minimally-invasive procedures, and surgical management. The choice or selection of the prostatic carcinoma treatment depends upon the other health conditions, past treatment for prostate cancer, and severity of the symptoms.

Most prostate cancers are found in the early stages when they are growing slowly. These are different types of treatment by stage of prostate cancer for patients:

Watchful waiting and active surveillance

If prostate cancer is in an early stage and is growing slowly, and treating the cancer would cause more problems than the disease itself, a doctor may recommend watchful waiting and active surveillance.

During watchful waiting, routine PSA tests, digital rectal examinations, and prostate biopsy are not usually done. In case of urine blockage due to prostate cancer then treatment would be initiated to relieve symptoms.

A further treatment plan can be discussed based on the patient’s life expectancy and other illnesses to determine whether watchful waiting and active surveillance is appropriate.