PR Newswire
BALTIMORE, Sep 1, 1999 /PRNewswire a COMTEX/ -- Thousands of men die
each year of fear and embarrassment -- fear of visiting their physician
when suffering from prostate problems -- and millions suffer needlessly
as a result of ignorance or apathy. In response, the Prostate Health
Council of the American Foundation for Urologic Disease (A.F.U.D.) has
inaugurated Prostate Health Month in September to educate men on
prostate disease, treatment and maintaining prostate health.
Prostate problems including Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or
enlarged prostate, prostatitis and cancer are extremely common. In
fact, eight in 10 men will eventually develop an enlarged prostate and
one in 10 men will develop prostate cancer. Despite the prevalence of
prostate disease, men lack awareness about prostate health or are
reluctant to seek treatment.
"There are many myths about prostate disease -- for example, that it
only affects older men, that most prostate problems are cancer-related,
that few treatment options are available -- and these myths are
detrimental to men's health," said Tom Bruckman, executive director,
A.F.U.D. "By launching Prostate Health Month, we are striving to change
misperceptions and give men the encouragement they may need to overcome
embarrassment or fear of being examined."
Prostate Health Month: Raising Awareness of Prostate Health Among
American
Men Bringing together current educational efforts on Prostate Cancer
and BPH education, including Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (September
20-24) and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Week, (September 13-17)
"Prostate Health Month" is supported by nationwide public service
announcements which feature actor Hector Elizondo, reaching an American
audience via television, radio and print. The public service
announcements encourage men to become educated about prostate health
and to take action if they experience prostate problems. Further, the
public service announcements also include a montage of men from various
backgrounds and professions -- emphasizing the importance of prostate
health to all men.
The Prostate, Its Function and Its Diseases The prostate is a gland of
the male reproductive system located in front of the rectum and just
below the bladder. About the size and shape of a walnut, the prostate
wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder
out through the tip of the penis. The main function of the prostate is
to produce fluid for semen, which transports sperm. The three most
common conditions affecting the prostate are benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis and prostate cancer.
BPH, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, is the most common of
prostate conditions among men. In fact, more than 50 percent of men age
60, and 80 percent of men age 80, are estimated to suffer from BPH. The
enlargement often squeezes the urethra where it runs through the
prostate. Symptoms of BPH include difficulty initiating urination, weak
urinary stream and waking several times at night to urinate. BPH is
more common among older men, because as a man ages, his prostate
naturally enlarges.
BPH can be treated by a variety of methods, including prescription
medications and surgery. Physicians may advise patients with
non-symptomatic BPH to take a "watchful waiting" approach to the
disease, intervening with treatment if symptoms develop. It is
important to note that BPH does not necessarily lead to cancer;
however, a man can have BPH and cancer at the same time.
Prostatitis, an inflammation of the prostate, is not contagious and
modern medicine does not yet clearly understand the way in which the
prostate becomes infected. The bacteria that cause prostatitis may get
into the prostate from the urethra by backward flow of infected urine.
Both acute and chronic prostatitis can be treated with antibiotics;
however, noninfectious prostatitis is not treatable with antibiotics
although muscle relaxants, hot sitz baths, periodic prostatic massage
and other treatments may offer some relief of symptoms.
Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor that most often begins in the
outer part of the prostate. As the tumor grows, it may spread to the
inner part of the prostate. Treatment options for prostate cancer
include watchful waiting, hormonal therapy, radiation, brachytherapy
and surgery. Two tests critical to detecting men at higher risk of
prostate cancer and other prostate diseases are the digital rectal exam
(DRE) and the prostate-specific antigen test (PSA test). A high PSA can
indicate a greater chance of developing prostate cancer. However, a
high PSA does not necessarily mean cancer is present; many men with BPH
also have elevated PSA levels.
"Most of my patients lack knowledge about prostate health and are
afraid of diagnosis and the potential side effects of various
treatments including impotence and incontinence," said Leonard S.
Marks, M.D., founding Medical Director of the Urological Sciences
Research Foundation and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department
of Surgery/Urology at the UCLA School of Medicine. "With increased
public attention to prostate problems, fear or embarrassment should no
longer be a barrier to maintaining prostate health as there are many
patient-friendly treatments available for common prostate problems."
In addition, there are many ways men can maintain prostate health,
including getting regular check-ups, maintaining a healthy lifestyle
and using dietary supplements, such as Saw Palmetto, which help promote
and maintain normal urinary flow.
Prostate Health Month, a public awareness and education campaign, is
sponsored by the Prostate Health Council of the American Foundation for
Urologic Disease, and made possible by an unrestricted educational
grant from Warner-Lambert Company.
