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Pacific Coast Urology treated their
11,000th patient in November 2010.
We are grateful for
the trust and confidence
our patients have in Dr. Pugach and the staff. We look forward to
continuing to provide advanced,
minimally invasive urologic treatments to our patients.
New
Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines...Robert Pugach, MD
September 2009
Los Alamitos, CA
New guidelines for prostate cancer screening suggest
that we should start looking for evidence of
prostate cancer at an earlier age. Presentations at
this year’s American Urological Association meeting
indicated that patients should start being tested
as early as age 40. This is especially
important for men whose fathers (or relatives of
their fathers) have a history of prostate cancer –
their risk of developing it is at least twice that
of the general population. In addition, normal
values for PSA (the blood test that can detect
prostate cancer) are being lowered. We believe that
it should be 2.5 for men 65 years or younger and 4.0
for men over that age.
Why are screening criteria changing? There’s no
question that we are still missing many cases of
curable prostate cancer. Estimates are that as many
as 25% of men with prostate cancer may not have it
detected early enough. Once prostate cancer escapes
the capsule of the prostate no cure is possible. It
may spread to lymph nodes, the liver and bones. In
addition, local growth can cause blockages of the
ureters, the tubes that drain the kidneys into the
bladder
Controversy continues about who should be treated
for prostate cancer. Much of this debate involves
old patient data and statistics that date back to a
time when life expectancy for men was much lower
than it is today. In fact, life expectancy today is
almost 80 years; people who are born today are
expected to have an average life expectancy of 96
years! That means that men are living long enough
to both develop prostate cancer and suffer its
effects. That also means that cancer screening
should start at an early age and most of us will
need aggressive treatment.
Of course, the key to successful treatment is
early diagnosis. We’re on top of all of the
latest guidelines, just as we are with other areas
of minimally invasive urology. If you haven’t had a
prostate cancer screening in the last 12 months,
call us today to schedule a convenient appointment
to see Dr. Pugach. If you have any questions,
please feel free to call us to speak to one of our
experienced nurses. We’re here to help you! Call:
888-735-4336
"One in Five Young Men In US Report Recent PSA Test"
Dr. Robert Pugach agrees with recent findings on PSA
testing and African-American's prostate screening
recommendations, as reported in the August 11, 2008,
Online issue of Cancer Magazine
Summary
of Findings
·
The findings suggest that young black men are
2.42-times more likely than their white counterparts
to undergo PSA screening.
·
The rate in black men, 33.6%, is disappointingly low
considering that they are at higher risk for
prostate cancer.
"Our findings for black men are discouraging,"
senior author Dr. Judd W. Moul, from Duke, commented
in a statement. "We've been encouraging black men to
get screened at age 40 or 45 for more than a decade,
yet only one-third of these high-risk men reported
being tested."
It is generally recommended that men discuss
screening with their physicians starting at age 50.
However, the American Cancer Society recommends
screening at age 45 for African American men, or
earlier if there is a strong family history.
Dr.
Robert Pugach aggressively advises men to adhere to
the screening recommendations as recommended by the
American Cancer Society. If you are over the age of
45, have experienced changes in the way that you
urinate or have a family history of prostate cancer,
see your urologist today. It takes only a few
minutes for exam and PSA testing. The testing
results can save your life! |
