Prostate cancer is a major public health problem. Over a lifetime, the disease will affect an estimated of one in every five American men (Hricak & Scardino, 2009). In the US, the disease is the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Prostrate cancer’s risk factors are age, race, diet, and family history. Among the three features, age is considered as number one risk factor. As men grow older, the possibility of developing the disease increases. The risk of a 50+ year old man developing microscopic cancer is 41%. For the reason that this disease is prevalent among the elderly, it is expected that the number of diagnosed prostate cancers will increase in the future as life expectancy increases. Men with family members with the disease are at higher risk of developing the disease compared with those without. With respect with diet, research indicates that men from countries that consume food rich in fat such as meat and dairy products have higher chances of developing the disease compared with those from countries that consume food rich in vegetables and fruits. This paper analyses men’s issues in my community with regard to prostate cancer.
In my community, one in seven men aged above 50 years has been diagnosed with the disease. Similar to the national statistics, the majority of those affected are aging men. According to the same results, one in 10 men aged between 40 and 50 years has been diagnosed with the cancer. Despite the fact that more aging men are diagnosed with the disease, the community nurses assert that more of these men do not die from the disease but from other ailments related to old age.
According to our community nurses, prostate cancer does not affect all men equally. African American men have a higher risk of developing the disease compared to Caucasians, and Native American men. Similarly, the mortality rate of African American men is higher compared to that of any other racial group. The nurses assert that the best way to detect this cancer is when it is at its initial stages. The disease is identified through standard digital prostate tests and PSA blood tests. With each passing year, the number of those diagnosed with prostate cancer increases. This increase is attributed to improved life expectancy in my community. According to the community nurses, there are no proven links between the disease and active sex life, use of alcohol, smoking, circumcision, or infection of the prostate.
Given that prostate cancer is habitually slow growing and may not be lethal in most men, some men after being diagnosed with the disease wait for it to become aggressive (Vijayakumar, 2011). It is alleged that most of the men diagnosed with this cancer should not be under treatment. This implies that in most instances, the cancer grows so slowly and later in life that it is not likely to be fatal. However, when a physician recommends that an individual should be treated several factors such as age, general health, and the type of treatment are considered (Cancer, 2013). With respect to the stage of the disease, its management may comprise of a single treatment or mixture of radiation treatment, surgery, hormone treatment, and on odd occasions chemotherapy. Regularly, contained prostate cancer is cured with surgery, radiation treatment, or cryosurgery. The option of treatment is reached upon based on a number of issues.
References
Cancer. (2013). – Healthy People 2020. Web.
Hricak, H., & Scardino, P. T. (2009). Prostate cancer. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Vijayakumar, S. (2011). Prostate cancer. New York: Demos Medical.