Niamh Shackleton
A surgeon is urging all men to do this one thing when it comes to prostate cancer as more than a million men are diagnosed with the illness each year.
It has been predicted that over 36,000 men in America will die from prostate cancer this year alone, while and additional 333,830 will be diagnosed with the common type of cancer, says the American Cancer Society.
Prostate cancer is most likely to develop in older men, with six in 10 diagnoses being in males aged 65 and older.
One of the most concerning things about this type of cancer is that it often comes with little or no symptoms, meaning men who have it often don't realize until it's too late and the cancer may have already spread.
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Prostate cancer is a growth of cells that starts in the prostate, explains Mayo Clinic. The prostate is a small gland that makes the fluid part of semen and is located just below the bladder.
Cancer of the prostate is one of the most common forms of cancer.
Speaking to The Mirror, Professor Prabhakar Rajan, a London-based consultant urologist and robotic surgeon at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and Barts Health, wants men to be actively asking for Prostate Cancer Screening (PSA) tests at their doctors practice so that people better understand their risk of developing the illness.
"Men need to be able to have an open and honest conversation with their doctor about the PSA test," he said.
Prof Rajan added: "This is important because prostate cancer is often symptom-free until it has escaped the prostate, at which point it is harder to treat."
John Hopkins Medicine states that men aged between 55 to 69 are most likely to benefit from taking a PSA test, but men aged 40-54 may be advised to have one if they have a first-degree relative who has had prostate cancer, have at least two extended family members who have had prostate cancer, and/or are African-American (an ethnicity that's at higher risk of developing it).
You can see where there's free prostate cancer screenings available near you on the ZERO Prostate Cancer website.
Men with early prostate cancer are may have no symptoms, but there are some signs to be aware of, including:
Extreme fatigue has also been found to be a possible warning sign when it comes to prostate cancer.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.