Prostate cancer affects one out of every seven men. It’s second only to skin cancer as the most common type of cancer among men, both in Los Angeles and across the country.

The best way to detect prostate cancer early is to get a yearly physical, including a rectal exam, and to take a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test when you turn 50. However, PSA tests can be controversial because they have a high percentage of false positives. Also, elevated PSA levels don’t always mean that you need an immediate biopsy.

If your urologist or primary care doctor in Los Angeles detects elevated PSA levels, you have some options:

• Wait for a biopsy. If you show no other symptoms of prostate cancer, such as a tumor that your doctor can feel during a rectal exam or any of the advanced prostate cancer symptoms mentioned below, you probably don’t need a biopsy yet.
• Test again in a few months. Ask your doctor whether you can take another PSA test in six months, plus additional periodic tests, to see whether your PSA levels trend upward. If they do, you should consider getting a biopsy to confirm whether or not you have prostate cancer.
• Watch and wait. Most prostate cancers grow very slowly, and unnecessary biopsies can cause difficulty with urination and sexual dysfunction. Ask your doctor whether you need treatment or whether it’s reasonable to watch and wait.

If you notice any of these symptoms of advanced prostate cancer, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible:

• Problems with urination. Talk to your doctor if you’re having trouble voiding your bladder, or if you notice that your urine stream comes out with a lot less force than usual.
• Pain and discomfort. If you feel pain in your pelvic area or in your thighs, hips, or lower back, make a doctor’s appointment. Also, talk to your doctor if you feel unexplained pain that feels like it’s in your bones.
• Erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction doesn’t mean that you have prostate cancer. However, because of how it can impact your quality of life, it’s always worth discussing with your doctor.
• The presence of blood. Call your doctor if you notice blood in your urine stream or blood in your semen.

If you have any questions regarding symptoms of prostate cancer please don’t hesitate to call our Las Vegas-based cancer center at 702-233-2200 today to speak with one of our cancer specialists or to schedule an appointment.

If you have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, call our center immediately to set up an appointment so that we can discuss all of your radiation treatment options, including CyberKnife treatments. If radiosurgery at a Las Vegas cancer center sounds like it might be the right treatment for you, schedule your consultation today.