Prostate cancer: The essential things you should know

When it comes to men’s health, one of the most common misconceptions men can have is if they’re feeling fine, there’s nothing wrong. When it comes to prostate cancer, feeling fine isn’t a definite sign of your health status. Many men with prostate cancer are asymptomatic at early stages and according to the Canadian Cancer Society, prostate cancer (with the exclusion of skin cancer) is the most common cancer among men in Canada.

For Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Osler Urologist Dr. Suman Chatterjee about the important things you should know about prostate cancer.

One in seven men are at risk of developing prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a prevalent disease that typically affects men over the age of 50 and the risk increases with age, but in some cases, it can affect men earlier in life. Family history of prostate cancer increases risk but it’s also known to affect men with no family history of the disease.

You can be asymptomatic

Many men with prostate cancer are asymptomatic. For some it’s not until the disease develops to an advanced stage that they experience any symptoms, like pain during urination, urinary retention, blood in urine and more. That is why it’s important to visit your family physician regularly and discuss screening early on.

It’s important to ask about screening

Most urologists suggest asymptomatic men past the age of 50 talk with their family physician about getting screened for prostate cancer. If there's a family history of prostate cancer, then that discussion should take place around at 40 years of age. *Remember: the earlier you get screened, the faster the disease can be detected and treated. There are also more treatment options available when the cancer is at its early stages.

The good news: Treatment and outcomes have come a long way!

Treatment for prostate cancer has improved greatly over the years. It is now widely treatable with less side effects and less invasive measures, depending on what stage the cancer is detected. For some, that means no medications, radiation or surgery at all but rather monitoring the disease. With the advancements over the last 10-15 years, the five-year survival rate for local prostate cancer is approaching a hundred per cent.

Taking care of your health = taking care of your prostate

There are several things you can do to minimize your risk of developing prostate cancer. Exercising regularly and healthy eating will take care of your cardiac health and in turn, your prostate. Research shows that incorporating plant-based food into your diet can help minimize risk of developing prostate cancer. Also, the healthier a patient with prostate cancer is, the better they will manage prostate cancer treatments.