The American Cancer Society estimates that 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2024, including 5,920 in South Carolina alone. While most cases are diagnosed in older men, men aged 55 and younger account for approximately 10% of all new diagnoses. Some research has even shown an increase in prostate cancers among teenage and young adult men.
Health care providers aren’t sure what’s driving this trend, but there’s a growing awareness that prostate cancer can affect men at any age.
“We recommend that men start prostate cancer screenings at age 50,” says Dr. Louis Remynse, board-certified urologist with Beaufort Memorial Urology Specialists. “Black men and men with a family history of the disease may need to start as early as age 40. Still, men who are too young for screening can still get this disease, so I encourage all my patients to know the warning signs of prostate cancer and seek treatment whenever they suspect something is wrong.”
Read More: Prostate Cancer Screenings: The Facts
The (Sometimes Lesser Known) Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
In the earliest stages of prostate cancer, men may not have any noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do occur, cancer has often advanced — but it can still be treated.
Schedule an appointment with a urology specialist if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Bone pain
- Chronic or acute pain in the hips, back or chest
- Difficulty urinating or a weak urine stream
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fatigue
- Frequent urination, especially if the need to urinate disrupts sleep or everyday life
- Loss of appetite
- Pelvic pain
- Painful or burning urination or ejaculation
- Unexplained weight loss
- Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet
“While these symptoms can be related to a less-serious health issue, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, they can also be caused by a cancerous growth,” Dr. Remynse says. “It’s always better to have unusual symptoms checked out by a health care provider. We can provide you with an accurate diagnosis and treatment if needed.”
Read More: Enlarged Prostate Affects More Than Half of Older Men
What Happens Next: Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
If you’re experiencing signs of prostate cancer, your provider will recommend a series of tests. Diagnosis of prostate cancer typically includes a digital rectal exam (DRE), where a provider manually checks the prostate for abnormalities, and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a blood test that measures a specific protein in the blood. PSA tests are commonly used to screen for prostate cancer, as well.
Based on the results of your DRE or PSA, your provider may order a prostate biopsy, in which a sample of tissue is analyzed for cancerous cells. Prostate biopsies are the most accurate tests for confirming a diagnosis, but your urology specialist may also order a CT scan to determine if cancer has spread beyond the prostate.
Navigating Your Treatment Options
Your prostate biopsy will help your provider determine the grade, type and stage of prostate cancer you have. This information helps them develop a personalized treatment plan.
Here’s a simplified breakdown of treatments commonly used for prostate cancer:
- Active surveillance, which involves regular testing every few months, may benefit men with small, slow-growing cancers. If testing indicates that prostate cancer is spreading or growing, a urology specialist will discuss moving forward with medical therapies.
- Surgery to remove the prostate gland (radical prostatectomy) may be the only treatment needed if cancer hasn’t spread beyond the prostate. Beaufort Memorial offers robotic-assisted, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, which uses smaller incisions and causes less pain than traditional open prostatectomy.
- Laser therapies, including Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate and transurethral resection of the prostate, require no incisions and instead use heat or electrical currents to cut or destroy cancerous prostate tissue.
- Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancerous cells. Beaufort Memorial radiation oncologists use external beam radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer effectively while sparing nearby healthy tissue.
In some cases, particularly with advanced prostate cancer, other therapies may also be used in treating prostate cancer. These may include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, as well as clinical trials when appropriate.
“For younger men, we typically recommend surgery because it is often more successful at offering a long-term solution,” Dr. Remynse says. “However, it can have significant downsides, including incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Some of the minimally invasive laser therapies available offer the same success as surgery but have fewer side effects and can benefit men in a wider age range. We really want men to understand the benefits and risks of all treatment options, so they feel confident in their care — and optimistic about the future.”
Concerned about your prostate health? Call 843-524-7607 to schedule an appointment with a member of the Beaufort Memorial Urology Specialists team.
