Prostate Cancer Screening and Treatment

Who needs to screen for prostate cancer ?

If one has a family history of prostate cancer, cancer screening should commence from age 40 and should be carried out annually. Other males should be screened at age 40 and 45, and then annually from age 50

How do we screen ?

Screening for prostate cancer can be done at your family practitioner or urologist. A blood test(PSA) and physical exam are done, and in some cases, an MRI scan may be indicated.

If there is suspicion of prostate cancer, a prostate biopsy may be carried out in theatre.

What if I am diagnosed with prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer does not mean the end of a life of enjoyment! Prostate cancer is in most cases, a slow growing cancer, that can be easily cured if detected early. That being said, not all prostate cancers even require treatment. Some patients may elect to undergo Active Surveillance, which means living with your cancer and only curatively treating it if it begins to progress.

If a cancer is detected at a point when it is too late to cure it, one may opt for a range of palliative options that help to control the cancer, giving you many more years of freedom.