President Biden’s battles with prostate cancer put this disease into recent headlines, but because one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime according to the American Cancer Society, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. In recognition of this month, Episcopal Health Services (EHS) shared prostate cancer prevention tips.
When detected early, prostate cancer has a very high survivability rate, 97% or greater. More than 3.5 million men in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer are alive today. Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men. About six in 10 prostate cancers are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older. It is rare in men under 40.
Sheldon Pike, Chief of Urology at EHS, and Mark Ashamalla, MD, Chief of Radiation Oncology at EHS Cancer Center recommend the following steps to help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
- Maintain a healthy weight and exercise daily. It is recommended you get at least 150 minutes of moderate intense activity each week or for 30 minutes, five days a week.
- Eat healthy foods. Eat more fruits and vegetables; reduce your intake of red meat, especially high fat or processed meats and limit high fat dairy products.
- Know your family history. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles your risk of developing the disease.
- Avoid tobacco and alcohol.
- Get screened. The American Cancer Society recommends that average-risk men get screened at age 50; high-risk men, including African American men and those with a first-degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age get screened at 45; and highest-risk men with multiple first-degree relatives diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age get screened at 40.
Talk to your doctor about your individual risk and how often you should be screened.
