With Father’s Day happening in June, this month has been declared Men’s Health Month by multiple organizations.
When it comes to men’s health, there are a couple of conditions that are of particular interest: prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
Dr. Steven Ramos, associate medical director of HealthTexas, told us about a couple of conditions that affect men, and ways for men to stay healthy.
1. What are the most common types of cancer in men?
“The most common types of cancer in men disregarding skin cancer, which is probably the most common of all, is going to be prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer,” Ramos said. “And I think prostate cancer is one of the more forefront ones recently brought out.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men after skin cancer. Approximately 1 in 8 men will be affected by prostate cancer, and there will be almost 250,000 cases and more than 34,000 deaths in 2021. The cancer is rare for men younger than 40, and the most common age at diagnosis is 66. That said, prostate cancer is survivable if diagnosed early. If the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis, the survival rate drops to just 31%.
2. Is it true that any man, if you get old enough, is going to get prostate cancer? What can you do to help prevent that?
“Prevention is largely helped with screening, and that’s where things have changed over the last, you know, five to 10 years as far as prostate screening (goes),” Ramos said. “So, talking with your primary care doctor, discussing your options and who needs to be screened and how often you need to be screened is really important. And that’s the best way to prevent prostate cancer.”
3. The screening involves the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, correct?
“It does, currently -- the recommendations are laboratory or blood work for the PSA,” Ramos explained. “Some physicians and specialists do still recommend digital rectal exams and just monitoring for other symptoms. But really, it’s important to discuss with your doctor about any symptoms you may be having ... any strong family history of prostate cancer. And those are really the more important ones.”
It is critical to have a thorough discussion with your physician. Your doctor will know how to interpret your PSA results and walk you through the next steps. Sometimes that is treating an infection, repeating the test in six to eight weeks, or referring to urology for evaluation.
3. How common is testicular cancer, and how would I know the symptoms?
“Testicular cancer, thankfully, is very uncommon,” Ramos said. “It does affect largely younger men than older men. There are no rigid screening recommendations for testicular cancer. A lot of times it’s found, incidentally, by the patient or a partner for some kind of growth or mass or discomfort in the testicles. And that prompts us to test further. Currently, at this time, there’s not a regimented or routine screening for testicular cancer.”
In 2021, there will be an estimated 9,470 cases of testicular cancer in the United States. Overall, 1 in 250 males will have testicular cancer in their lifetime. Unlike prostate cancer, testicular cancer is more common in young men. The average age at diagnosis is 33. Testicular cancer is survivable, with only 1 in about 5,000 cases resulting in death, according to HealthTexas.
4. What are common things men should do to stay healthy?
“Well, largely, you know, currently maintaining activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and then regular screening checks with your doctor and your blood pressure, your cholesterol, blood sugar weight, prostate cancer screening, colon cancer screening, all these things are around and our tools for us to help keep our patients healthy,” Ramos said. “So, discussing what needs to be done with your doctor is just crucial.”
5. Don’t be afraid to check yourself to talk to your doctor about these things, right?
“Absolutely. All these topics your doctors should be discussing with you,” said Ramos. “But if you have specific questions about anything you may notice different about your health or if you just want some more information about testicular cancer or prostate cancer, these are great questions. Women, we love talking about these (things) to keep them informed. The more patients know, the healthier they are.”
Along with these male-specific conditions, it is still important to remember that men also need colon cancer screening. New recommendations have screening beginning at 45 years old. Higher-risk patients should be screened with a colonoscopy, while lower-risk patients are eligible for less-invasive screening like stool cards. As always, talk with your physician about the screening that is right for you.
If you need a primary care doctor, HealthTexas has 17 locations to serve the San Antonio region, and the health group specializes in Medicare plans. All doctors are board-certified in internal medicine or family medicine.
To learn more about HealthTexas, click or tap here.