Being mindful of prostate health can help save your life, particularly if cancer is detected early.

That’s why urologists and other physicians at MCG Health System continue to recommend that men over 50 undergo two painless tests-a physical exam and a blood test-to check for signs of prostate cancer. African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer are recommended to begin prostate cancer checks at age 40.

In most cases, prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer. A physical exam, consisting of a digital rectal exam, and a blood test to learn the level of prostate specific antigen, or PSA, enable physicians to find signs of prostate cancer early. The digital rectal exam looks for firmness or lumps and bumps on the gland’s surface, while the PSA test checks if levels of prostate specific antigen-which rise if the prostate is enlarged-are normal.

These tests may indicate a need for further testing, such as a biopsy. If a biopsy confirms the presence of cancer, early detection gives patients the most treatment options.

Annual prostate checks are particularly important because prostate cancer in its early stages often has no symptoms. By the time symptoms occur, the cancer has often spread and may be untreatable.

Those at particular risk for prostate cancer continue to be:

• African-American men. 
• Older men. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age.
• Those whose diet is high in animal fat. A study by MCG urologist and researcher Dr. Martha Terris also found that obesity makes prostate cancer harder to detect.
• Those with a family history. If a man's father or an older sibling has had prostate cancer, he is at increased risk.

While no clear cause for prostate cancer has been found, experts believe there are steps you can take to decrease your risk. If you are a smoker, quit. Get plenty of exercise. And a recent small study suggests that a low-fat diet combined with regular exercise and stress management can help lower PSA levels.

Thanks to advances in treatment techniques, a cure is possible for a large percentage of men with the disease. Treatments include:

• Prostate removal, via traditional or laparoscopic (minimally invasive) methods
• Radiation therapy, including implantation of radioactive seeds in the prostate (brachytherapy) that help spare normal tissue
• Chemotherapy
• Investigational therapies such as cryotherapy
• Hormone therapy

All men should become aware of the risk factors and take steps, including having annual checkups, to help decrease their risk of developing prostate cancer. 

MCG Health System is composed of three separate organizations -- MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the members of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation. The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians, faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia, or employees of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation, not employees of MCG Health, Inc.  MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Medical Center, MCG Children’s Medical Center, the MCG Sports Medicine Center, MCG Ambulatory Care Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care.  For more information, please visit www.MCGHealth.org.