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Prostate Cancer

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Prostate cancer is the second-most diagnosed form of cancer afflicting American men, right behind skin cancer. One out of every six men in the USA will get prostate cancer at some point in his life - a very sobering statistic. When cells in the prostate grow abnormally, they form multiple small cancerous tumors. If the cancer is left untreated, it will at some point metastasize and begin to spread to other organs in the body via the bloodstream and lymphatic system.

Although prostate cancer is being discussed more openly these days, many men are still reluctant to get tested due to feelings of embarrassment. Screening for prostate cancer can be done quickly and painlessly in a doctor's office. The traditional test is the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) - the test that many men are squeamish about. A trained physician can probe the edge of the prostate where most cancers occur, and note any irregular bumps. In recent years, the DRE has been supplemented by the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test. The PSA test measures the level of a certain enzyme produced by the prostate. An elevated PSA level can indicate a problem with the prostate, but it cannot conclusively be a basis for a confirmed diagnosis. For this reason it's recommended that men over the age of 50 visit their doctor for a proper screening that includes both the PSA test and a DRE.