HOUSTON – September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, a time to keep in mind that according to the American Cancer Society, about one out of nine men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
To stress the importance of screenings and having the right treatment for this disease, urologist, Dr. Nathaniel Barnes, and radiation oncologist, Dr. Shariq Khwaja with Memorial Hermann Cancer Center, shared details that you need to know about how to tackle prostate cancer.
“When we talk about risks, risks are defined by our genetics and the environment, particularly the interplay between the two. There is currently no way to prevent prostate cancer,” warned Khwaja, who mentioned that his type of cancer can be treatable, but early detention is important.
“Primarily the screening consists of a blood test. In men that are in the ultra-high-risk group, you want to start screening at age 40. In the high-risk groups, African Americans and somebody with a primary relative, we start at age 45. And at a low-risk group, we start screening at age 50. And generally, extend that annually for those patients, until age 70 or 75,” said Barnes.
For more details, watch their complete interview in the video below.
For more information about prostate cancer screening and treatments, visit cancer.memorialhermann.org/prostate-cancer, or call 833-770-7771.