September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and Knox Community Hospital is stressing the importance of screening for the disease.

“As with any cancer, the earlier it is diagnosed, the better chance you have of beating it,” Dr. David Brown, a urologist at the hospital, told the Mount Vernon News. “How do we catch prostate cancer early? It’s through screening.”

Many men skip screening and seek treatment only after they begin having symptoms.

“By the time you have symptoms, it’s metastatic,” he said. “In fact, we haven’t found a cure for metastatic prostate cancer. At that point, it’s more about slowing the disease down.” 

Black men, who have a higher risk of prostate cancer, should start screening at age 40, said Brown. White males without a family history of prostate cancer should start screening at age 50, the physician said.

A prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) is used for screening. 

If the PSA is less than 2.5 and there is no family history of prostate cancer, doctors recommend screening every two years. If it is higher than 2.5 and there is a family history, annual screening is recommended.

All prostate cancer is not the same, said Brown.

“A lot of people believe that even if they get prostate cancer, (they are) going to die of something else before prostate cancer,” Brown said. “That is true for certain prostate cancers but not for all.”

Doctors can find out through biopsies how aggressive the prostate cancer is. Patients with the less aggressive forms may want to opt for “active surveillance” with PSA tests every six months rather than immediate surgery or radiation.

“However, there are more aggressive cancers that without treatment could metastasize and could shorten your life expectancy,” Brown said.

Some doctors once stopped giving PSA tests at age 70, but that is not the case now, said Brown.

“Years ago, the population wasn’t living as long as it is now,” Brown said. “There are a lot of 70-year-olds who act like they’re 50. If I think the man is going to be alive in 10 years, I think it’s reasonable to check the PSA.”