About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. That makes it the second most common cancer in men, just behind skin cancer.
Prostate cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms until it is advanced. Screening may find it early. The most common screening method is the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.
The PSA test
During a PSA test, a small amount of blood is taken from a vein and checked in a lab for elevated levels of a protein made by the prostate gland. A high PSA level can be a sign of prostate cancer.
PSA testing can only suggest whether prostate cancer is present. If your levels are high, you may need a prostate biopsy. Your doctor can explain more about normal and elevated PSA levels.
When to consider prostate screening
Prostate cancer screening has pros and cons. Many prostate cancers grow slowly. In older men, they may never cause any health problems. Finding a slow-growing cancer may lead to treatment, which can have side effects.
On the other hand, some prostate cancers can be aggressive, even lethal. With screening, the hope is to catch these cancers while they’re still small and more treatable.
No test is perfect. Prostate screening can indicate cancer may be present when it isn’t. Sometimes that leads to anxiety and more tests.
Your doctor can tell you more about the pros and cons of screening, as well as about your individual risk. You may want to start that conversation:
- At age 45 or earlier, if you have a high risk for prostate cancer. African American men have a higher risk. So do men with a family history of prostate cancer, especially if it was diagnosed before age 55.
- At age 50, if you are at average risk for prostate cancer
If you do decide to be screened, it’s typically recommended that you continue until you’re 70, as long as you are in good health.
A PSA screening opportunity
Carson Valley Health (CVH) celebrates Men’s Health Month in June by offering a discounted screening package.
You can always access the discounted Community Wellness Screenings.
You don’t need an appointment for these screenings, which CVH offers Monday through Friday, from 8AM-5PM. Please register at our lab on our main hospital campus at 1107 US Highway 395 N, Gardnerville, NV 89410. To ensure your results are read by a care provider, be sure to establish care with any of our five primary care clinics.
