Learn More: Prostate Cancer Screening

Basics of Prostate Disease

The Prostate Gland and What It Does
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Prostate Cancer
Prostatitis
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
The Doctor's Examination
Causes of Prostate Cancer

Primary Risk Factors

How Age Affects the Risk of Prostate Cancer
Why Prostate Cancer Increases with Age
Risk Among Various Races
African-Americans
U.S. Compared to Other Countries
Relative with Prostate Cancer
Family History of Other Types of Cancer
Height

Secondary Risk Factors

Vasectomy
Smoking
Alcohol Intake
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Tests

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test
Normal PSA Level
The Accuracy of a Test at Detecting a Disease
Accuracy of the PSA Test
Other Conditions That Can Affect the PSA Levels
High PSA Levels
Free PSA and How It Is Used
PSA Velocity and How It Is Used
PSA Density and How It Is Used
Why PSA Measurements Are Used
Table of Normal PSA Values by Specific Age
The Number of Doctors Who Use the PSA Test
Digital Rectal Exam
Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS)
Prostate Biopsy
Prostate Acid Phosphatase PAP Test

Significance of Prostate Cancer

Seriousness of Prostate Cancer
Insignificant or Latent Prostate Cancer
How Doctors Determine the Significance of the Prostate Cancer
The Usual Course of Prostate Cancer
A Critical Point for the Detection and Treatment of Prostate Cancer
The Chance of Dying from Prostate Cancer
Why a Randomized Study Is Needed to Prove That Screening Is Effective
Waiting for Evidence
Studies in Progress and Their Results

Preventing Prostate Cancer

What to Do to Prevent Prostate Cancer
Tomato Based Products
Lycopene
Cooked Tomato Sauce
Eating Less Fat
Types of Fat
Fruits and Vegetables
Eating More Soy
Exercise and Prevention
Vitamin E Supplements
Selenium Supplements
Hormone Treatments
Finasteride

Other Types of Prevention

The Role of Tea
Beta-Carotene Supplements

Recent Trends in Prostate Cancer

More Men Are Being Diagnosed
Fewer Men Are Dying
Risk of Diagnosis Is Increasing

Screening

When It Is Appropriate to Screen for a Disease
How Prostate Cancer Screening Stands Up to the General Criteria for Screening

Understanding Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Concern About Treatment
Risks with Needle Biopsies
Risks of Surgery
Risks of Radiation
Ranges of Complications
Evidence About Effective Treatment

Recommendations of Medical and Healthcare Organizations

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Cancer Society
American Urological Association
National Cancer Institute
American College of Physicians
American Academy of Family Physicians
American College of Preventive Medicine
Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Exam
Canadian Urological Association
Office of Technology Assessment

Values Concerning the Decision to Screen

The Nature of Tests
Feelings About Cancer
Living with Probabilities
Living as Long as Possible
Quality of Life
Sexual Function
Your Partner's Feelings
Urinary Control
Treating Advanced Cancer
Making a Decision
The Bottom Line

References