Men’s Health Month: A Closer Look at Prostate Cancer

June is Men’s Health Month. Celebrated each year to coincide with Father’s Day, this time is dedicated to raising awareness of health problems men may encounter through health education, fundraising and advocacy efforts promoting early detection and treatment of disease. Among the most prevalent men’s health issues is prostate cancer.

The prostate is a walnut-shaped organ in a man’s lower abdomen that controls the flow of urine and semen through the reproductive system. Prostate cancer is a disease specific to men and develops in the prostate.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 233,000 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men. Only lung cancer accounts for more cancer deaths in U.S. men, so it is important to have a yearly prostate exam beginning at age 40.

The early stages of prostate cancer usually have no symptoms and are most commonly detected through prostate cancer screening tests. Prostate cancer risk increases rapidly after age 50. More than 70 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over 65.

New Jersey CyberKnife treats prostate cancer with stereotactic body radiation therapy, a noninvasive method of treating tumors with high-dose radiation delivered with pinpoint precision in five or fewer treatments. CyberKnife treatment does not require surgery, so patients experience few to no side effects and return to their normal daily activities immediately following treatment.

Contact our center to find out if you are a candidate for CyberKnife.

This is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your health care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.