Wondering what the common misconceptions about prostate cancer are? Here is a list.
Every Kind of Cancer of the Prostate Needs Treatment
This is a misconception as the fact is that your health care practitioner may make the decision of not treating your prostate of this disease. The reasons for this include if you have other health issues and are elderly at the same time. Prostate cancer treatment may not cause your lifespan to become prolonged and might cause complications for other issues of health. You may also be refused treatment is there is slow growth for your cancer and it is at a very early stage. Instead, active surveillance is what your doctor might suggest. This means that you will get regular testing and check up to ensure that there is no spread of the disease. Treatment may start if there are any changes apparent in your situation.
Prostate Cancer is Only for Older Men
Age is not the only factor that determines prostate cancer. Even if it is rarely detected in men who are under the age of forty, you can ask for tests to be done on you if you have any concerns. Other factors for prostate cancer include race. Scientists are not able to figure out why as of yet but you have a higher risk of getting prostate cancer is you are of African American descent. In addition, you have double or triple the risk of getting cancer of the prostate if you have a family history of it. This means that if your brother or father had it, you may be at risk. As a matter of fact you have greater chances of getting this disease if your relatives had it as well.
Vasectomies Cause Cancer of the Prostate
In the past, the risk of a man getting prostate cancer was thought to increase when he decided to have a vasectomy. Since that time, more research suggests that there really is no link between the two. At the same time, vasectomies had led to prostates being checked more frequently by your urologist and consequently, there were more opportunities to detect prostate cancer at the clinics.
No Symptoms Means No Cancer
This is one of the worst misconceptions on the list due to the fact that cancer of the prostate happens to be one of the least symptomatic cancers among the entire cancer list. As a matter of fact, frequently, the symptoms for cancer of the prostate can be attributed or mistaken for something else entirely. Prostate cancer signs are often found by doctors during checkups that are done routinely. Symptoms commonly include frequent needs to urinate, a hard time stopping or starting urination, interrupted or weak urination flow and burning or painful urinating. It also includes symptoms such as blood in the semen or urine, painful ejaculation and having a hard time getting or maintaining an erection. Also, frequent stiffness or pain in the lower back, upper thighs or hips are included. If these are symptoms you have, make sure you inform your health care practitioner for a checkup.
