About 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime and an estimated 9,560 men in the United States will be diagnosed with testicular cancer, according to Cancer.net. In honor of helping to raise awareness about serious cancers, a movement known as “Movember” and No-Shave in November, is recognized to encourage friends and family to get screened for prostate and testicular cancer– two cancers that can be treated with early detection.
Below we’ve provided everything you need to know about these cancers and why your participation in No Shave Month is important.
What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men after skin cancer. More than 174,650 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to Cancer.net. Benign cancers in the prostate are usually not life threatening and can be easily treated. More serious prostate cancers, such as malignant tumors require additional, specialized care to remove them. The good news is that the 5-year survival rate for most men with local or regional prostate cancer is almost 100%. Doctors aren’t sure why some men get prostate cancer, while others do not.
Some prostate cancer risk factors include:
- Being over the age of 50
- Certain races, such as white men, are at greater risk of prostate cancer than Asian-American and Hispanic men.
- Family history of the disease
- Diets high in red meat are associated with the disease
Treatments for Prostate Cancer
Treatment options for prostate cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. You may receive one treatment or a combination of treatments depending on the grade of the tumor, where it is located and whether it has spread to other parts of your body.
Sometimes instead of immediate treatment, your doctor might suggest a watch and wait approach to monitor the prostate.
If your doctor does recommend removing all or part of the prostate, he or she may recommend robot-assisted minimally invasive prostate surgery (prostatetomy) using the da Vinci Surgical System or Focal One, the world’s most advanced high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technology.
What is Testicular Cancer?
Unlike prostate cancer, testicular cancer is a growth on the testicles that commonly occurs in men ages 15 to 35. Although the cancer mostly occurs in younger men, it can affect men of all ages. In fact, more than 9,560 men in the United States will be diagnosed with testicular cancer this year.
More than 90% of cancers of the testicle develop in germ cells. These are the cells that make sperm.
Symptoms of testicular cancer include:
- A lump or swelling of a testicle
- Breast growth or soreness
- Low back pain
- Early puberty
Treatment for Testicular Cancer
The good news about testicular cancer is that it is highly treatable. Nearly all cancerous testicles are surgically removed using minimally invasive techniques. Sometimes in addition to surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be used to destroy cancer cells. You can rest assured knowing that the Saint John’s Cancer Institute Urology and Urologic Oncology Center has experts in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted cancer surgery to treat both prostate and testicular cancers.
Early Detection and Screening
But the key is early diagnosis and increased awareness. So do your part this “Movember” and spread the word about getting screened for these common cancers. You can start by making an appointment for better health today!