When is the last time the men in your life had a real talk about their health? Seeing as September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, it’s a good time to start the conversation. Prostate cancer cases are on the rise despite early detection being easier than ever.
A new Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) survey revealed that nearly half of men didn’t even know the test existed, and 72% of men ages 40 to 49 said they hadn’t been screened at all. The nation’s leading nonprofit funder of prostate cancer research is urging men to take a simple step that could save their lives–getting the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. This test, which measures how much of the PSA protein is in the blood (with higher levels signaling the possibility of an inflamed prostate, an enlarged prostate, or prostate cancer), has been available for decades. Still, far too many men aren’t utilizing it.
That lack of awareness is dangerous considering prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men after skin cancer. It also disproportionately impacts Black men, who are almost twice as likely to die from the disease. The good news? When caught early, prostate cancer is 99% curable. However, if it’s detected late, treatment options are limited and survival rates drop significantly.
“Early detection is the single most powerful tool we have to beat prostate cancer,” says Phillip Koo, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at PCF. “All men should begin annual PSA screenings at age 45, and men with a family history or Black men should start as early as age 40. Prostate cancer often has no symptoms until the disease is advanced, and screening may help detect cancer early when patients often have a number of treatment options available to them – many of which have been supported by PCF.”
Prostate cancer often develops silently, meaning there are no symptoms until it’s advanced, which is why PCF stresses that getting screened is essential. In fact, one in eight men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, the same rate that women face for breast cancer. Just as women are urged to get annual mammograms, brothas need to treat PSA screenings with the same urgency.
Men have more options than they have had in the past. PCF has already helped fund research that led to 14 FDA-approved treatments for advanced prostate cancer. The foundation emphasizes that research breakthroughs only matter if men are proactive about their health and use the resources available.
“Too many fathers, brothers, and sons are lost because they were never screened,” says Gina Carithers, CEO and President of PCF. “We won’t stop until every man knows the importance of a PSA test.”
To make the process less intimidating, PCF has launched new online resources, including step-by-step action plans and a Prostate Cancer Awareness Month hub. They’re also partnering with organizations like Man Cave Health to expand access to screenings across the country.
Visit pcf.org/PCAM to learn more, find resources, or donate to support research and patient care.