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(ARA) - With the men of the “baby boomers” generation in the United States approaching target age for prostate cancer screening, the incidence of prostate cancer is expected to increase to 300,000 a year in the next decade. While treatable in earlier stages of the disease, prostate cancer can be much harder to treat in more advanced stages and can be fatal. In fact, prostate cancer is the number two cancer killer in men. This year, an estimated 30,000 will die from the disease. Treatment options for prostate cancer are dictated largely by the stage of the disease, the patient’s age and health, whether the cancer has just been diagnosed or has recurred, and other factors. Of particular concern is the plight of advanced prostate cancer patients.
“This is an underserved patient population. We often don’t highlight the story of the advanced prostate cancer patient and we need to,” says Thomas Kirk, president and CEO of Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network. “These patients are faced with fewer treatment options.”
Every year, 70,000 men require additional treatment due to a recurrence of prostate cancer. If the cancerous cells are not detected during initial treatment or if tumors go undetected, the cancer may spread beyond the prostate. Over time, many patients no longer respond to hormone therapy, meaning they have hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
Advanced prostate cancer patients face the development of painful bone metastases at which point they generally have two to three years to live. Quality of life during this stage of treatment can be greatly diminished. Recently though, a new class of compounds known as selective endothelin-A receptor antagonists (SERA) has emerged and clinical trials are underway to evaluate their potential in treating advanced prostate cancer.
With more than 230,000 men being diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States, and an estimated 2 million American men currently living with prostate cancer, new treatment options are needed.
The American Cancer Society recommends men begin annual screening at age 50. African-American men or men with a family history of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 45 and in some cases, it may be advisable to begin screenings at age 40. Prostate cancer screening can involve a combination of two tests: the digital rectal exam (DRE) and the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. If the DRE or PSA tests are abnormal, a biopsy is typically recommended.
For more information on Us TOO, please visit www.ustoo.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
