Prostate Cancer - What You Don't Know Might Kill You!

Here's the one fact that all men need to understand:
Early prostate cancer detection is the difference between living and dying as far as prostate cancer is concerned.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that cancer is one of the leading causes of death. What you may not have realized is that cancer is the second leading cause of death for men and prostate cancer is a very major contributor.

The reason for this is that prostate cancer can expand beyond the prostate gland and travel to other parts of the body. So a highly treatable cancer in the prostate is ignored and kill it grows into other parts of the body and becomes much more deadly.

The sad part is that doctors are able to detect prostate cancer in its very early stages. To complicate matters however, there are a few symptoms that are directly associated with prostate cancer alone. This in turn causes many men to simply ignore common symptoms until prostate cancer grows beyond the gland and becomes a seriously life threatening cancer.

The good news is that this disease is a slow progressive type of cancer while still localized in the prostate. A person can have prostate cancer for years and not know it if they don't undergo several very simple diagnostic tests. These tests become even more important, as you age. Men with no family history of prostate cancer should be tested yearly. Black men and those with a family member who has had prostate cancer should consider annual testing at age 40.

Prostate cancer screening tests are simple and inexpensive.

+ Digital Rectal Examination
+ PSA Blood test. Measures levels of Prostate-Specific Antigen a key prostate cancer marker.

Your chance of survival and cure is directly related to early detection, diagnosis and treatment. Consistent testing will dramatically increase the chances of early detection before it becomes serious.

Another benefit of early detection is that the treatment options are much less radical. Earlier treatment methods are much more successful in not only curing prostate cancer but also limiting the complications and side effects of more aggressive treatment options.

If you haven't been insisting on a prostate exam and blood test for prostate cancer indicators, you owe it to yourself and your family to start now. Don't make the mistake of assuming symptoms may be simply due to your age. Prostate cancer is a serious illness that needs to be identified as soon as possible.

So at your next annual physical, make certain that basic prostate cancer screening tests are done. This is one of the key ways that you can make certain you life cancer free as long as possible.

Abigail Franks has written many articles on the subject of prostate cancer. On her site you can find valuable information about Prostate Cancer and more about early detection with Prostate Cancer Tests