Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Spring 2021

MEN’S HEALTH is something the pathologist grades. Cancers with a Gleason score of 6 or less are considered low-grade tumors. Gleason scores of 8 to 10 are considered high-grade tumors. Higher-grade cancers may require further staging with X-rays. If a prostate cancer is small and low-grade, a doctor might suggest actively monitoring it to see if it grows. Other treatment options include: » Robotic surgery. » Radiation therapy. » Hormone therapy. » A combination of the above. Treatment may depend on how advanced and what stage the cancer is, age of the patient and other medical issues. It’s important to thoroughly review all your treatment options with your doctor. SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS The American Cancer Society recommends that men work with their doctors to make an informed choice about getting screened with a PSA test. This discussion should occur at: » Age 50 for men at average risk for prostate cancer who are expected to live at least 10 more years. » Age 45 for men at high risk. This includes African American men and men with a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65. » Age 40 for men at higher risk. This includes men with more than one first-degree relative who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age. IF YOU HAVE a urological health concern, schedule an appointment with Mark J. Walterskirchen, M.D., CMH Urology Surgical Clinic, Bolivar. Call 417-326-2550 . Men: Get the lowdown on prostate cancer Al Roker’s recent diagnosis of prostate cancer has put this disease—and testing for it—back in the spotlight. Prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in American men. Still, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer won’t die from it. That’s because prostate cancer is often very slow-growing, and men who get it are more likely to die of something else. FINDING PROSTATE CANCER Most prostate cancers are diagnosed as a result of screening with either a digital rectal exam or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Prostate cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms in its early stages. PSA in the blood is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). The likelihood of having prostate cancer rises with the PSA level. But there is no firm number that indicates prostate cancer. If your doctor suspects prostate cancer, the most likely next step is a prostate biopsy, in which small samples of prostate tissue are removed and sent to a lab for analysis. STAGINGANDTREATMENT If the biopsy results don’t show cancer, you may not need further testing for now. But if they do, the next step is determining what grade the cancer is. This is based on the Gleason score, which citizensmemorial.com 11