Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez is encouraging men to be more proactive about their prostates during September, which is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. He urges everyone to encourage their father or brother to get screened by their primary care physician or urologist.
It is essential for men to be proactive, because the cancer is very treatable if caught early. In fact, the five-year survival rate is between 96 and 100 percent. Prostate cancer typically does not result in death if it is found early. It’s is a very slow growing disease and urologists are finding it in younger men because they are being proactive.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the growth of malignant or cancerous cells in the prostate gland. The cells may or may not grow and spread beyond the prostate to surrounding glands and tissues.
Compared to most cancers, prostate cancer tends to grow very slowly, and therefore, may have little or affect on how a man feels. Other forms of prostate cancer can be very aggressive and spread to other parts of the body.
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, and it affects one in seven men in their lifetime.
Your Miami urologist has found that more than 60 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over 65 years of age, and the average age at diagnosis is 69 years old. African American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer and they are 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease. A man whose father or brother had prostate cancer is twice as likely to be diagnosed.
Following are some symptoms of prostate cancer:
- A need to urinate frequently.
- Difficulty urinating.
- Weak or interrupted flow of urine.
- Painful or burning urination.
- Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs.
Risk factors for a more aggressive form of the cancer include smoking, lack of vegetables, high BMI, tall height, lack of exercise, high calcium intake and Agent Orange exposure.
Be proactive about your prostate this month – call the office of best Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez today to schedule a screening.
