The Hawaii Prostate Cancer Coalition strongly recommends that men Take Action regarding their prostate health.
Prostate cancer generally does not cause any symptoms until it has advanced considerably. By that time, a man's treatment choices become much more limited and the only option may be to try to extend life as long as possible.
What is prostate cancer?
The prostate is a gland, found only in men, and located beneath the bladder near the base of the penis. In prostate cancer, cells in the gland grow in an uncontrolled fashion. Over time, they may grow and divide enough to form a tumor. In some cases, they will grow large and take over most of the prostate. They can penetrate through the outer surface of the prostate and invade nearby tissue. In metastatic prostate cancer, tumors spread throughout the body, particularly into the bones.
Click here to view a glossary of medical terms related to prostate cancer.
In many cases, prostate cancer grows slowly and may cause few if any symptoms during a man's life. In other cases, it is aggressive, grows quickly, and can be fatal.
For 2016, it is estimated that about 180,890 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 26,120 will die. In Hawaii, the estimates are about 610 diagnoses and 100 deaths.
What can you do?
There are several things every man can do:
Speak with your physician regarding the benefits and risks associated with testing for prostate cancer. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends that men have a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) at age 40. The results of these tests are useful for planning when and how often to do further testing
Be an active participant in Shared Decision-Making regarding your prostate cancer testing and treatment.
Gather the relevant data on your diagnostic tests, treatments, etc. Having this information is vital in deciding how to proceed. Click here for a form that will help you to bring together everything you need.
Attend meetings of US TOO to learn about prostate cancer testing, diagnosis and treatment.
Beginning with the resources found on our Useful Links page, educate yourself about prostate health