Discuss the most recent American Cancer Society guidelines for prostate cancer screening.

Discuss the risk factors, common presentation and physical exam findings of prostate cancer.  Discuss the most recent American Cancer Society guidelines for prostate cancer screening.

 

 

Prostate cancer is most common in men and affects the prostate located in the male reproductive system. Risk factors include family history and genetics. “All men are at risk for prostate cancer; out of every 100 American men, about 13 will get prostate cancer during their lifetime, and about 2 to 3 men will die from prostate cancer” (CDC, 2021). Other risk factors include diet, smoking, chemical exposures, history of sextually transmitted infections and obesity. “Prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer; tumors that develop in the prostate tend to develop on the peripheral gland, which does not obstruct the flow of urine, hence they go unnoticed until there is associated pain” (Hoffman & Sullivan , 2020).

In the early stages there are no significant signs and symptoms for prostate cancer. Depending on the extent of the disease patients may experience different symptoms similar to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Localized disease symptoms include elevated PSA, weak urinary stream, hesitancy, sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder, frequency, urgency, urge incontinence and urinary tract infection. Locally invasive disease symptoms include hematuria, dysuria, perineal and suprapubic pain, erectile dysfunction, incontinence, loin pain, symptoms of renal failure, hemospermia, and rectal pain. Physical exam findings include “an asymmetric prostate, a prostate nodule, or an elevated PSA level may be found during a routine physical” (Goolsby & Grubbs, 2019).

The most recent American Cancer Society guidelines for prostate cancer screening recommend how to proceed in obtaining information and treatment. “Men must have a basic understanding of the importance of prostate cancer, the potential benefits of early detection, the strengths and limitations of PSA testing, and the risks of finding and treating screen-detected cancer” (Wolf , et al., 2010). The guidelines recommend screening test of PSA blood exam or PSA blood exam with digital rectal exam can help detect cancer at an earlier stage. Other guidelines false-positives or false negative results require additional testing, abnormal results require additional screening, and treatments options may vary.