EON

Everyone knows too much of a good thing can be bad, but what about excessive cancer testing?

Prostate cancer effects one in six Canadian men, leading most aging men to seek preventive measures.

There are two types of prostate cancer, differing in intensity. The first is slow growing, and can be cured in almost one hundred percent of cases. The aggressive prostate cancer spreads quickly to other parts of the body, and can be cured in about thirty three percent of cases.

There is currently no way to determine whether a cancer is slow growing or aggressive, and many patients are receiving tests and treatment they don’t need. Side effects can be as devastating as incontinence or impotence.

There are many tests and therapies available for prostate cancer; prostate-specific antigen, a simple blood test, is usually first. Unfortunately this test tends to over exaggerate findings. Radiation therapy and surgery are options once a definite diagnosis has been made, and lymph nodes are monitored to detect whether or not the cancer is spreading.

Men should take extra care to consult with their doctor about appropriate treatments. Factors such as age and family history are always important.