The importance of routine PSA testing in combatting prostate cancer

Christi Nance

Submitted photo/Gameday Men's Health Chandler

Unlike a broken bone or a bad cough, there's no obvious signal that tells a man that something is wrong. And by the time symptoms like difficulty urinating, blood in the urine and pain occur, the disease often has progressed.”

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OPINION — Prostate cancer often is called a “silent disease” because it rarely causes symptoms in its early, most treatable stages.

Unlike a broken bone or a bad cough, there's no obvious signal that tells a man that something is wrong. And by the time symptoms like difficulty urinating, blood in the urine and pain occur, the disease often has progressed.

This is exactly why routine screening is so valuable. It catches problems before your body starts sending warning signs.

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the perfect time for men to ask themselves a simple question: When was the last time I talked to my doctor about my prostate?

If you are like most men, the answer is probably never. That answer is exactly the problem.

The PSA test, short for prostate-specific antigen, is a simple blood draw that measures a protein produced by the prostate. It takes just a few minutes in a clinic, and the results give both the patient and the provider a clear starting point for conversation.

Current guidelines generally recommend that men begin discussing PSA testing with their doctor around age 50, or as early as 40-45 for those with a family history of prostate cancer or who are African American, a group at higher risk.

This isn't about running out and demanding a test tomorrow. It's about starting the conversation with your provider so that you can make an informed decision together, based on your own risk factors.

Early detection changes everything

When prostate cancer is caught early, the treatment options multiply and the outcomes improve dramatically. Localized prostate cancer has a five-year relative survival rate approaching 100%. Once the disease spreads beyond the prostate, that number drops sharply. Early detection isn't just a statistic. It's the difference between a menu of treatment options and a much narrower, more difficult path.

In my years treating men across the East Valley, I've heard every reason to skip this test: I feel fine, it's just for older guys, I don't want to know, That test is uncomfortable.

Most of these are misconceptions. A PSA test is simply a blood draw, no more invasive than any other type of routine bloodwork. And “feeling fine” is precisely the point: Prostate cancer typically doesn't make you feel bad until it's advanced. Waiting for symptoms means waiting too long.

Men are statistically less likely than women to have a regular primary-care provider or seek preventative care at all. They are taught to push through, rub some dirt on it and to not complain, or to see the doctor only when something is broken.

Another part of not getting tested is simple avoidance. Nobody loves talking about their prostate. But preventative care isn't a form of weakness. It's the most practical, cost-effective thing a man can do for his own long-term health, and for the people who depend on him.

The fix is often smaller than men expect. Find a provider you trust, ask the question once and let the conversation start from there.

National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month exists because reminders work. Most of us know in the back of our minds that we should get screened, we just need a nudge to actually schedule it. Consider this that nudge.

If you're over 40 and haven't talked to your doctor about PSA testing, make that appointment this month. It's a five-minute conversation and a simple blood draw that could add years to your life.

Silent diseases require us to speak up first.

Christi Nance is a family nurse practitioner and clinic director specializing in men's preventative health in Chandler. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.