Top Benefits of Early Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
This year, about 250,000 men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis, some of whom will be younger than the average person might think of when they picture a prostate cancer patient. Though the majority of cases are in men age 65 and older, it’s possible for men in their 40s to be diagnosed with the disease.
As a precautionary measure, the American Cancer Society has recommendations on when men should begin prostate cancer screening, starting with men at age 40 who have more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age through men that are age 50 with an average risk of developing the disease.
The way a doctor screens for prostate cancer has evolved over the years (and, for the record, we believe that will continue to happen). The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and digital rectal exam (DRE) remain the current standard of care in the United States, though MRI has gained traction as a screening modality in recent years. Regardless of the method, the goal of any proactive prostate cancer test remains the same: To identify the cancer before it advances.
To further the conversation around the merits of screening, we’ve compiled a list of a few of the top benefits received through early prostate cancer screening and diagnosis.
You’re more likely to survive with an early diagnosis
To say that an early prostate cancer diagnosis can save your life is hardly an understatement. In fact, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the five-year survival rate for U.S. men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer is nearly 100%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention backs up that claim, citing the lowering of a patient’s chance of death from prostate cancer as a benefit of early screening. In many cases, cancer caught early enough won’t even require intervention, a practice called “active surveillance.”
Finding prostate cancers prone to spread to areas like the lymph nodes, lungs and liver before they have a chance to metastasize is critical. Statistics show that the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer that spreads to other parts of the body drops significantly to just 30%.
There’s strength in knowledge
No one has ever used the saying “ignorance is bliss” when describing a prostate cancer diagnosis. While receiving this type of news is never comforting to hear, it’s certainly better than the alternative of not knowing. In some men, the news serves as a wake-up call that they aren’t invincible, empowering them to focus on a more holistically healthy lifestyle. Prostate cancer advocacy groups that bring men together for fellowship and sharing may even serve as an additional support system for the newly diagnosed.
It opens up prostate cancer treatment options
In cases where the disease isn’t discovered until an end-stage, options for prostate cancer treatment can dwindle. On the flip side, early prostate cancer diagnosis opens up nearly all treatment methods, from hormone therapy to radiation and even immunotherapy. A doctor may even complete an MRI of the prostate to obtain a better understanding of the concerning areas. Through these methods, doctors gain invaluable insights into the type of cancer the patient has, which can inform the treatment plans and lead to better outcomes.
You may be able to take part in a clinical trial
The National Cancer Institute funds and oversees a variety of clinical trials that you may be able to participate in with an early diagnosis. These trials run the gamut from prevention to prostate cancer treatment. If you’ve ever been interested in participating in something that may be able to both help your case and plenty of other men in the future, a clinical trial might just be your ticket.
Promaxo can target suspicious lesions more effectively
If a prostate biopsy is required, the Promaxo MRI system can do so in a fast, safe and convenient manner. A radiologist can load a patient’s MRI scan into Promaxo’s image viewer, mapping the areas that need further exploration in advance of the procedure. During the biopsy visit, the urologist overlays that reference MRI with the Promaxo MRI while performing the MR-guided, targeted biopsy. The tissue samples then get sent out to the pathologist for analysis.
At Promaxo, we encourage all men to have a conversation with their doctor about prostate cancer—no matter how uncomfortable it might be—and collaboratively develop a plan on when screening should take place. If one of those screenings ever does find prostate cancer, you’ll be glad you did.
