Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with a one in eight Canadians likely to be diagnosed during their lifetime.

Experts like John Lewis, a professor of oncology at the University of Alberta, say the vast majority of men will “get prostate cancer at some point in their lives.”

“For prostate cancer that remains localized in the prostate, the five-year survival rate is virtually 100 percent,” Lewis said. The dose welcome Dr. Brian Goldman.

However, the Canadian Cancer Society estimates that on average, 14 Canadians are expected to die from prostate cancer every day in 2024.

“Some prostate cancers are extremely aggressive,” Lewis said.

As a researcher who promotes Movember – an annual campaign in which men grow mustaches to raise awareness about men’s health every November – Lewis says the key for doctors and patients is to understand the risks associated with prostate cancer, so to determine how to detect and treat the disease.

What is prostate cancer?

The prostate is a gland that is part of the male reproductive system, located just below the bladder and next to the rectum.

Lewis says he views prostate cancer as two separate diseases “with two completely different outcomes”: so-called indolent cancer, which grows slowly and is less dangerous; and metastatic cancer, which spreads outside the prostate and is extremely dangerous if not detected early.

“Indolent prostate cancer… is a cancer that we often say men might die with, not from it,” he said.

On the other hand, about three percent of men will die of aggressive prostate cancer.

In its beginnings, people with prostate cancer may not feel many or no symptoms.

However, once the tumor grows, symptoms include more frequent urination, blood in the urine or semen, difficulty urinating, painful ejaculation, as well as back, hip, and pelvic pain.

Who gets prostate cancer?

Anyone with a prostate – including men, trans women and non-binary people – are at risk of developing prostate cancer. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age, but a family history of prostate cancer is also a risk factor.

A poor diet, lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol consumption can also increase your risk of developing prostate cancer.

Surgeon Dr Adam Kinnaird says US data indicates that black men tend to have higher rates of prostate cancer, as well as more aggressive prostate cancer than men of other racial or ethnic backgrounds. In Canada, however, Kinnaird says black men do not have higher rates of prostate cancer or prostate cancer. more aggressive disease.

“But on average, Black men were diagnosed about two years earlier than other Canadians,” said Kinnaird, an assistant professor in the University of Alberta’s faculty of medicine and dentistry.

However, research indicates that Aboriginal men in Canada were more likely to have more advanced and aggressive behaviors prostate cancer than other menperhaps because Aboriginal men were less likely to have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and were diagnosed at later stages of the disease.

THE Canadian Cancer Society suggests that most men are screened for prostate cancer by age 50. Black and Indigenous men, as well as men with a family history of prostate cancer, should be screened around age 45.

Prostate cancer screening

Doctors screen for prostate cancer using a PSA test or digital rectal exam (DRE); Starting age screening depends on risk factors and where you live.

If the PSA test detects higher-than-normal antigen levels in a patient’s blood – usually above three nanograms per liter – this could be an indication of prostate cancer.

Lewis says the PSA test is quite sensitive, although it doesn’t specify whether a person has indolent or metastatic cancer.

WATCH | New non-invasive prostate cancer screening test available in Alberta:

New non-invasive prostate cancer screening test available in Alberta

A new prostate cancer screening test is available in Alberta. The blood test is used in addition to a prostate-specific antigen test. Dr. John Lewis explains the test that took a dozen years to complete.

If elevated PSA levels are detected in a person’s blood, Lewis says the only definitive way to confirm the presence of prostate cancer is with a biopsy.

“A biopsy involves a transrectal ultrasound, and then about 12 needles are inserted between the legs into the prostate,” he said. Biopsies carry a risk of infection that can lead to sepsis, which is why Lewis is working on research to improve less invasive screening for prostate cancer.

How is prostate cancer treated?

Although there is no cure for metastatic prostate cancer, Kinnaird says radiotherapy and surgery are currently the two main treatments for the disease if the cancer is localized to the prostate.

“The two first-line treatment options are to remove the entire prostate or irradiate the entire prostate,” he said.

WATCH | Study: Indigenous men at higher risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer:

Study: Indigenous men at higher risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.

Researchers at the University of Alberta have released a new study that finds Indigenous men are at higher risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. We spoke with Dr. Adam Kinnaird, one of the study’s co-authors.

Brachytherapy – a treatment that involves inserting small radioactive materials into the prostate to kill cancer cells – is also sometimes used.

That being said, a 2024 study found that 6.4 percent of men treated with brachytherapy had a new cancer after 15 years of follow-up, increasing to 9.8 percent after 20 years.