A Banner Publication
September 4, 2008 – Vol. 2 • No. 13

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Prostate cancer:
Screenings save lives
Robbie Robinson won his bout with prostate cancer more than five years ago. He is still able to hit the links several times a week at the William Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park.
Robbie
Regular testing to detect prostate cancer in its early stages has been relatively successful. It’s a little surprising, then, that the federal government last month issued a recommendation that men 75 and older should not get screened.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of 10 primary care physicians appointed by the Public Health Service to determine appropriate preventive measures, argued that tests and subsequent treatments for prostate cancer often cause more harm than good.

In its first update of recommendations for prostate cancer in five years, the task force went even further, suggesting that the testing may not be beneficial for younger men as well.

The reaction from Dr. Anthony Victor D’Amico, chief of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, was quick and emphatic: The panel should reconsider these guidelines. Full story


A survivor urges others to be proactive

As assistant principal of the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Dorchester, Richard Salmon, 59, is known as a tough man.

But when it comes to African American men and prostate cancer, Salmon is even tougher.

“Black men need to take the time for their health,” he said. “We’re walking around with cancer and don’t even know it. Get off that macho kick.”

Salmon should know. Full story

OTHER STORIES:

Prostate cancer: The scourge of men click here

A matter of men click here

A Closer Look

The prostate is a small gland that is part of a man’s reproductive system. It produces seminal fluid that nourishes and helps transport sperm. The prostate is situated in front of the rectum and below the bladder. Like a donut, it surrounds the urethra, a thin tube that transports urine from the bladder. When enlarged, it squeezes the urethra, causing difficulty in urination. Because of its position in front of the rectum, the digital rectal exam allows the doctor to feel the prostate for lumps and irregularities that can be signs of prostate cancer.



Full story


Questions & Answers click here

Risk factors click here

Signs and Symptoms click here

A look at lycopene click here

Celebrate Prostate Cancer Awareness Month click here

The basics of prostate cancer screening click here

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