Prostate Cancer Myths | Ask a Prostate Cancer Expert, Mark Scholz, MD

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 21:49:36 +0000

PCRI's Alex and Executive Director, Mark Scholz, MD, discuss common misconceptions in prostate cancer.

0:11 Does prostate cancer have symptoms? Prostate cancer does not have any symptoms until it has advanced to other parts of the body and developed tumors large enough to push against sensitive areas of the body. Monitoring for symptoms is not an effective way of detecting prostate cancer.

1:59 Is PSA testing necessary? The PSA test has several uses. It is used to screen men who have never been diagnosed, to monitor for a possible relapse in men who have already been treated, and to verify that a treatment was/is effective. It became controversial because of the overtreatment of indolent forms of prostate cancer, but the PSA test is still the best tool for early detection of prostate cancer and with expert advice one can avoid the risks of overtreatment.

3:56 At what age should one begin PSA testing? A man should educate himself on the PSA test and then begin testing in his 40s.

4:30 Do you need to have surgery first before having any other treatments? There was a time when that was a genuine concern, but with today's technology, radiation is more effective and less toxic than surgery. There are also other methods of ablating the gland for men with previous radiation (e.g. cryotherapy, HIFU).

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