Coping With an Advanced Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
- “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Dwight Eubanks, 66, recently learned he has stage 4 prostate cancer after undergoing a health check at his church. He went public with his diagnosis to encourage other men to monitor their prostate health.
- SurvivorNet experts support standard screening methods such as a digital rectal exam and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. This test measures the level of PSA in the blood, and higher levels can indicate cancer.
- Prostate cancer screening guidelines urge Black men to begin screening at 40 years old, which is 10 to 15 years earlier than men at average risk. The National Cancer Institute says among Black men, “death rates are higher” or “more than twice” that of white men, sparking increased efforts to boost early detection for this demographic.
- SurvivorNet holds an annual Close the Gap conference to educate, spread awareness, and ultimately work to eliminate racial disparities in cancer care. Our efforts aim to ensure everyone has access to education about cancer, screening recommendations, treatment options, clinical trials, and more.
“It is critical that men — especially Black men who are disproportionately diagnosed with prostate cancer — become their own health advocates and push for information, screenings, and lifesaving care,” Eubanks told WSB news.
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“A prostate cancer diagnosis is crushing, but I’m grateful to still be in this fight and use my platform to help others impacted by this disease,” Eubanks said.
Expert Resources on Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Metastatic Prostate Cancer Treatment is Improving
- Deep Concern For The Nearly Half A Million Veterans Who Have Prostate Cancer: Are They Getting The Proper Treatment?
- Genetic Testing for Advanced Prostate Cancer Can Help Tailor Treatment
- How to Treat Late-Stage Prostate Cancer: New Treatment Developments
- New Drug for Advanced Prostate Cancer Gets Fast-Tracked by FDA; What You Need to Know About This Treatment
Prostate Cancer Screening and Warning Signs
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It starts in the walnut-shaped prostate gland between the rectum and bladder, producing the fluid that nourishes sperm. Fortunately, most prostate cancer is caught with screening examinations.
When you do get screened for prostate cancer, your doctor will run a few tests.
One of the tests is the PSA test, a simple blood test that screens for prostate cancer. It looks for more significant amounts of protein-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. An elevated PSA test does not always mean you have prostate cancer. It could also reflect that your prostate is enlarged, which is common, or it could signal an infection or inflammation.
Your doctor may also conduct a digital rectal exam (DRE) to check your prostate for lumps.
Depending on the results of these tests, imaging scans and a biopsy may be ordered.
WATCH: How Gleason Grade Determines Treatment
Prostate cancer does not always behave the same in every man it impacts. The cancer can be considered “low-risk” and can be slow-growing, and treatment might not be necessary. In other men, the cancer may grow faster or more aggressively, requiring more immediate treatment. Because of this, there is some debate about screening.
The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommends men at average risk between the ages of 55-69 years old should talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening.
The American Cancer Society recommends that men at age 50 who are at average risk should begin screening. Men who are at high risk of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 40. Men with a close relative diagnosed with prostate cancer should consider annual screenings in their 30s.
Most doctors agree that men over the age of 70 do not need screening.
SurvivorNet experts suggested that men consider factors like their family history, genes, and age when deciding whether and when to screen.
Symptoms of prostate cancer may include:
- Urinating more often
- Waking up in the middle of the night to pee
- Blood in your urine
- Trouble getting an erection
- Pain or burning when you urinate
- Pain in your back, hips, thighs, or other bones
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
Prostate Health Among Black Men
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) new cancer screening guidelines with Black men in mind.
Since Black men tend to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at younger ages compared to other racial groups, the new guidelines state Black men should consider screening at 40 years old since this demographic group is regarded as a “high-risk population.”
WATCH: How to Address Racial Disparities in Cancer Care
“Few guidelines have outlined specific recommendations for prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based prostate cancer screening among Black men,” researchers for PCF said in its report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“Discussions with health care providers about baseline PSA testing should begin by the time Black men are in their early 40s, and modeling data suggests prostate cancer develops 3-9 years earlier in Black men compared to their peers. Lowering the age for baseline PSA testing from 50-55 years to 40-45, followed by regular screening intervals until the age of 70, would reduce prostate cancer mortality in Black men,” the PCF said in its report.
RELATED: Black Men May Be More Susceptible To Advanced Cancer Due to Biomarkers in the DNA Study Says
SurvivorNet holds an annual Close the Gap conference to educate, spread awareness, and ultimately work to eliminate racial disparities in cancer care. Our efforts aim to ensure everyone has access to education about cancer, screening recommendations, treatment options, clinical trials, and more.
Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer
After testing and establishing your risk, your doctor will discuss possible treatment options. Treatment ranges from “active surveillance,” usually for men with low-risk prostate cancer, which again involves regular testing every six months to monitor the prostate and check for any progression of the disease.
More aggressive treatment options include surgery and radiation therapy.
WATCH: When to treat prostate cancer?
Surgery is an option for men with any risk group of prostate cancer that hasn’t spread outside of the prostate gland. The type of surgery most often used is called a radical prostatectomy.
During the procedure, the surgeon removes the entire prostate, along with some tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles that release fluid into the semen. Your doctor can perform this through a traditional open procedure with one large or several small incisions called laparoscopic surgery.
Surgery side effects may include erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Fortunately, the side effects are usually temporary, and there are ways to help you manage them.
Radiation therapy is often done when prostate cancer is caught early and confined to the prostate gland.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you have experienced symptoms associated with prostate cancer or have a screening coming up, here are some questions you may ask your doctor:
- If I had elevated PSA levels, what could be causing that besides cancer?
- How long will it take to learn if my PSA levels warrant further testing?
- What are the treatment options that are best suited for me based on my risk level?
- What financial resources exist to help me with the costs associated with treatment?
- How long will my potential treatment prevent me from working or continuing normal activities?
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