Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Every year, over 200,000 men are diagnosed with this disease, and approximately 30,000 die. But if caught early, through either a digital rectal exam (DRE) or a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, this disease is often treatable. New tests are being developed, so when consulting with your health care provider ask if other tests are available.

In the early stages, prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. However, as the disease develops, so do the red flags. Men should notify a doctor immediately if they notice any of the following:

• Hip or back pain
• Difficulty urinating
• Painful or burning urination
• Blood in the urine

Every man should consider a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and DRE at age 40. He should know his number so that he can compare it with his PSA number at his next check-up. Additionally, African Americans, men with a family history of prostate cancer, and men exposed to Agent Orange should consult with their health care provider about yearly tests beginning at age 40.

Treatment options for prostate cancer generally include removal of the prostate (prostatectomy), radiation, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, or cryosurgery. Men with localized, low-risk prostate cancer might choose active surveillance, closely monitoring the cancer to see if it progresses or becomes aggressive, to determine if treatment is needed.

Options and the possible side effects of treatment should be discussed with a urologist or other specialist. Your loved one might consider getting a second opinion before proceeding with any of the options available.

Recognizing Your Partner's Symptoms of Prostate Enlargement

Is the man in your life making frequent trips to the bathroom during the night?

Is he enjoying social activities less because he always has to be near a bathroom?

Has he complained about weak urine flow or difficulty in starting urination?

If your partner is over the age of 50, these symptoms may indicate that he has a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate known as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Although BPH is easily treatable, many men are unaware that treatment is available.

When your partner complains of urinary difficulties (such as frequent urination, incomplete emptying of the bladder, a weak urine stream or difficulty starting urination) or if you notice changes in urinary patterns, encourage him to make a doctor's appointment. Medications are available that, in some cases, could begin to relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of prostate enlargement within four to eight hours.

The good news is that, in general, BPH does not cause erectile dysfunction and does not diminish your partner's sex drive. The reality may also be that the uncomfortable and embarrassing symptoms of an enlarged prostate may not put your partner in a romantic mood. Having the sudden, urgent need to urinate can be a distraction.

When BPH symptoms affect your partner's lifestyle, the quality of your life also may be affected. What fun is it to go to a movie, if he feels embarrassed by the need to find the bathroom a couple of times during the show? Why go on a leisurely ride through the countryside if you both get annoyed by the constant need to be on the lookout for a rest stop? Why have friends over if a lack of sleep caused by repeated nighttime trips to the bathroom makes him grumpy, or if concern about his urinary problems makes it difficult for him to concentrate on the conversation?

BPH does not need to cause disruptions in your partner's quality of life or affect your lifestyle. The symptoms of an enlarged prostate can usually be treated quickly and effectively with medications that reduce the pressure of the prostate on the urinary system. Once that pressure is reduced, BPH symptoms may improve. That's why you should encourage your partner to see a physician.

Things Every Woman Should Know about BPH

• An enlarged prostate is the most common prostate health problem among men, usually affecting men over 50
• BPH is a condition associated with aging, probably due to hormonal changes
• By about age 50, about half of all men have begun to develop an enlarged prostate
• For men over 50, prostate enlargement is likely to continue through the rest of their lives
• BPH symptoms occur when the enlarged presses against the urethra, the tube that carries urine away from the bladder
• As the prostate slowly continues to enlarge, symptoms may gradually worsen, interfering with sleep, physical comfort, and routine activities
• BPH symptoms vary with the individual. Some men with BPH experience an urgent need to urinate, while others may have difficulty starting
• In most men, BPH symptoms can be effectively managed with medication
• If left untreated, BPH may eventually curtail or slow down a man's activities and interfere with his lifestyle – and could lead to more serious medical complications requiring surgery
• BPH is a non-cancerous condition. There is no known link between BPH and prostate cancer

Erectile Dysfunction /Impotence

The most widely-accepted definition of erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability of a man to get or maintain an erection sufficient for his sexual needs or the needs of his partner. ED is incredibly common – most men have it briefly at some point in their lives. But for as many as 30 million men in the United States, ED is a chronic condition.

Although ED becomes more common with age, men of any age can suffer from it. Sadly, they generally refuse to discuss it with either their partners or their doctors.

As a result, men feel embarrassed and women often feel that the man in their life doesn't find them attractive. So if you want to make love and your husband says he has a headache, pay attention: it might be something far more serious.

About 70 percent of the time, ED is caused by an underlying health problem, most often diabetes (as many as half of all men with diabetes suffer from ED). ED may also be caused by kidney disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and drug or alcohol abuse. The remaining 30 percent of cases are caused by stress, anxiety, depression, or sometimes the medications used to treat those conditions.

In most cases, whether ED is caused by a physical or psychological problem, it's treatable, which means that it doesn't have to be a natural or inevitable part of growing older. Treatments include drug therapy, penile implants, vacuum devices that manually create an erection, injections, or other alternatives. Your loved one should talk to his doctor to determine the most appropriate treatment.

Helpful Websites:

Men's Health Network www.menshealthnetwork.org

Men's Health Library www.menshealthlibrary.com

Women Against Prostate Cancer www.womenagainstprostatecancer.org

Male Breast Cancer Resource Center www.malebreastcancerresourcecenter.com

Prostate Health Guide www.prostatehealthguide.com

National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov

American Cancer Society www.cancer.org