There is a buzz about a way to check your risk for prostate cancer in 30 seconds.
Here is the link to the 30-second online risk checker, which is part of a campaign from the United Kingdom encouraging men to know their risk.
Interest in the campaign increased after Bill Turnbull, a beloved television presenter in the United Kingdom died last year of prostate cancer at the age of 66, according to the BBC.
According to the BBC and other UK news outlets, Turnbull announced his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2018, and while treatment could not save his life, his legacy lives on with the 30-second online risk checker.
The assessment takes a person through several questions including age, ethnicity, and family history of prostate cancer. It is well-researched that these factors affect your risk for prostate cancer. The risk of prostate cancer increases in men older than 50, those with a family history, and those who are African American.
The goal of the checker is to raise awareness, help men understand their risk factors, and decide whether to get screened for prostate cancer and at what age.
Here are the screening guidelines from the Prostate Cancer Foundation:
- If you have a family history of prostate cancer or if you are African American, screening should begin at age 40.
- If you do not have a family history or you are not African American, screening can start at age 45.
- African American men, those of Scandinavian descent, and anyone with a family history of prostate cancer are at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. So, talk to your doctor about prostate health or see a urologist, who specializes in prostate health.
Prostate Cancer Statistics
The American Cancer Society reports that one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his life. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men in the United States.
In 2022, about 270,000 men were diagnosed and 34,500 men died from the disease.
But the sooner prostate cancer is caught, the better.
About 83% of prostate cancers are found in the early stages, when it’s most treatable, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The five-year relative survival rate – or rate of survival compared to a man without prostate cancer — in these cases is nearly 100%. When prostate cancer spreads, the five-year relative survival rate is 32%.
The overall five-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer in the United States is 97%, and the 10-year relative survival rate is 98%. These are based on the stage of cancer, a person’s age, health, and treatment plan.
That is why it is important to know your risk factors and common symptoms associated with prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer Warning Signs
If you experience any of the following 10 warning signs mentioned by the American Cancer Society, see your doctor right away:
- Problems urinating
- A slow or weak urinary stream
- The urge to urinate more frequently, especially at night.
- Blood in the urine
- Blood in the semen
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pain in the hips, back, or chest. (This can be an indication cancer has spread.)
- Weakness in the legs or feet
- Numbness in the legs or feet
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
While these symptoms may be the result of another medical condition, have your doctor rule out prostate cancer with a PSA (Prostate Specific Androgen) blood test, a digital rectal exam, or further testing if necessary.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Options
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you do have treatment options depending on the type and stage of cancer, your age, and your overall health.
Doctors turn to surgery, chemotherapy, other drug therapies, and radiation to treat prostate cancer. Sometimes they use a combination of treatments.
More than 60,000 American men choose radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer each year, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The cure rate for prostate cancer using radiation is well-documented, and there is a proven safety track record.
Florida Center for Prostate Care
While there are different types of radiation for prostate cancer, the experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami believe stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT – the type of radiation used by CyberKnife, has some distinct advantages.
- It is non-invasive.
- There is no anesthesia or cutting.
- It does not come with the risks of surgery like infection and extended periods of downtime.
- CyberKnife treatments are done in five therapy sessions over 10 days instead of 42 over three months with other types of radiation treatments.
- The CyberKnife radiation beams, which target and destroy the tumor, are exceedingly precise.
- There is less risk of side effects including impotence and incontinence.
- That is a relief to most men who are looking for alternative treatment options for prostate cancer.
“CyberKnife is an amazingly precise way to deliver radiation to the prostate,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami on CyberKnife Miami’s YouTube Channel. “It is not readily available in all places, but Miami is blessed to have the CyberKnife Center of Miami, which has an amazing amount of experience.”
Best Prostate Cancer Treatment in Florida
Dr. Pomper says the success rate with CyberKnife for prostate cancer is 98 percent.
At CyberKnife Miami, we have successfully treated hundreds of prostate cancer patients from across the country and right here in South Florida with excellent results.
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, call CyberKnife Miami for a consultation. If you would like to find out more about prostate cancer treatment with CyberKnife, call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our prostate cancer website now for more information.