Prostate Cancer Awareness

An estimated 333,830 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2026, according to the American Cancer Society. While prostate cancer is a serious disease, more than 3.5 million men in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives are alive today.

We encourage you to ask your physician about a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. The screening measures the prostate-specific antigen in your blood. An elevated PSA may indicate prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is called a silent killer. One in 8 men will be diagnosed with the disease during his lifetime.

It is the second-leading cause of cancer death in U.S. men, behind lung cancer. It often has no symptoms until it has advanced or spread to other areas of the body. Yet when found early, prostate cancer is often highly curable.

Prostate cancer doesn’t have common early symptoms, and many of its signs are also associated with other conditions. Anyone who experiences the following should contact his physician for an examination:

• Urinary issues
  • Problems passing urine
  • Burning, pain or other discomfort with urination
  • Frequent urination
  • Slow or weak urine stream
  • Feeling of incomplete urination
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Nocturia (nighttime urination)
  • Hematuria (blood in the urine)
  • Urinary tract infections
• Impotency
• Pain in the hips, lower back (spine), chest (ribs), upper thighs or other areas
• Weakness or numbness in legs or feet
• Feeling very tired
• Weight loss

The age we recommend for your first PSA screening is based on your level of risk of developing prostate cancer:

• Age 50 if you are at average risk.
• Age 45 if you are at high risk. For instance, you are an African American male and/or you have a first-degree relative, father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer before 65 years of age.
• Age 40 if you have had more than one first-degree relative, father or brother, diagnosed with prostate cancer before 65 years of age.

Prostate cancer screening is the cornerstone of early detection. If you have questions about whether a PSA screening is right for you, or need assistance scheduling a screening, call 913-588-1227 or toll-free 844-323-1227.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center seeks to accelerate cancer prevention, discovery and care to save and improve lives with leading-edge, interdisciplinary cancer research.

Learn more about some of our latest cancer research.