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Cancer
Mayo Clinic Minute: Early screening and treatment advances improve prostate cancer outcomes
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Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, and finding it early can expand treatment options, including highly precise radiation that targets the tumor while protecting nearby tissue.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:00) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.
Screening for prostate cancer can start with a blood test. A prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test measures a protein produced by the prostate. An elevated level may indicate the need for further evaluation.
"Screening is important because the earlier you catch prostate cancer, the higher the likelihood of cure," says Dr. Albert Attia, a Mayo Clinic radiation oncologist.
Knowing when to begin screening is an important conversation to have with your healthcare team.
"Screening is recommended for men at the age of 50, and some data indicate it's better to get screened even at age 45, especially if you have a family history of prostate cancer," Dr. Attia says.
There are several treatment options when it comes to prostate cancer. Surgery, hormone therapy, radiation or a combination of those may be used.
One radiation option is intensity-modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT. The goal is to precisely target the tumor while limiting radiation to nearby tissue.
"This is a way for us to shape the dose of radiation to deliver the high dose areas to the tumor and avoid any critical structures nearby," says Dr. Attia. "We're able to achieve submillimeter accuracy."
Join the conversation at the Mayo Clinic Connect Prostate Cancer Support Group.
