Guido Adelfio is a charter member and past President of the Metro Bethesda Rotary club. He is a fellow prostate cancer survivor who has made many presentations to Rotary clubs around the District to raise awareness of this #2 killer of men in the U.S.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer that develops in men other than skin cancers, and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. In 2015 the American Cancer Society estimated over 220,000 men were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 27,800 men died from the disease -- though many of them had lived with the disease for years prior to their deaths.
• The prostate is a gland that is a part of the male reproductive system that wraps around the male urethra at its exit from the bladder
• Common problems are BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia), acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis and chronic prostatitis (non-bacterial)
• Prostate cancer is common in men over 50, especially in African-Americans and in men who eat fatty food and/or have a father or brother with prostate cancer
• Symptoms of prostate problems (and prostate cancer) include urinary problems (little or no urine output, difficulty starting (straining) or stopping the urine stream, frequent urination, dribbling, pain or burning during urination), erectile dysfunction, painful ejaculation, blood in urine or semen and/or deep back, hip, pelvic or abdominal pain; other symptoms may include weight loss, bone pain and lower extremity swelling
• Prostate cancer is definitively diagnosed by tissue biopsy; initial studies may include a rectal exam, ultrasound and PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels
• Treatments for prostate cancer may include surveillance, surgery, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy
• PSA testing is considered to be yearly PSA tests; not all agree this should be done
• Identify prostate problems early is a way to reduce future prostate problems
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