September signifies the start of fall, back to school and back to homework. September is also National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The awareness month was proclaimed by President Bush in 2003, and bolstered later that year by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, a prostate cancer survivor, who became the spokesman for the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be about 192,280 new cases diagnosed with prostate cancer in United States in 2009, and 27,360 will die from the disease. Dr. David B. Samadi, Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, encourages men this September, and year-round, to get educated and do their homework on prostate cancer.
Ignorance isn't bliss, but knowledge is power, says Dr. Samadi. Prostate cancer, also known as the "silent killer," exhibits no symptoms unlike other cancers. However with increased awareness, the death rate is going down as men are coming in for regular screenings, monitoring their results, all resulting in the disease being detected earlier.
This increased awareness trend was evident in recent weeks with the announcement that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer after an annual physical revealed an elevated PSA level, which led to a biopsy confirming prostate cancer. He subsequently underwent prostate removal surgery and, since the cancer was caught early, his prognosis is excellent.
Screening tests, which include Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and Digital Rectal Exams (DRE) are not foolproof, but staying on top of fluctuations can help detect prostate cancer in its early stages. Partnering with your doctor to monitor these fluctuations and any other risk factors is key to successfully staying ahead of this disease.