for men with prostate cancer, regular psa monitoring is a must
when martin couture was diagnosed with prostate cancer,...
sep 3 2019
4 minute read
martin couture’s treatment began with surgery, moving to radiation therapy and injections, when the cancer returned, to stop the flow of hormones that the tumour was feeding off
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this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
when martin couture was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he said it was like a slap in the face.
“i had absolutely no symptoms at the time,” the brossard, quebec resident said. “my partner and i eat well. we exercise and train together. we’re people who try to live a healthy lifestyle every day. i didn’t expect to get a diagnosis like that.”
every day 12 men in quebec are diagnosed with prostate cancer . it is the most common form of cancer in men in quebec and across canada – responsible for a quarter of all male cancer deaths. those with a family history of prostate cancer are at a much higher risk of the disease. “my father was 75-years-old when he received the diagnosis,” he added. “i was 50 at the time, so it really hit me hard.”
couture’s treatment began with surgery, moving to radiation therapy and injections, when the cancer returned, to stop the flow of hormones that the tumour was feeding off. it was imperative for him to continue living a healthy lifestyle. however, as his treatment and monitoring continued, he learned firsthand that the disease can advance in a variety of ways, which could be difficult to detect if doctors and patients aren’t monitoring psa levels on an ongoing basis.
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psa stands for prostate-specific antigen , which is a protein produced naturally by the prostate. elevated levels of the protein can indicate prostate cancer’s presence, making the psa test an important part of routine bloodwork for men with an elevated risk of prostate cancer. once diagnosed, the progression of prostate cancer can be tracked by looking at the psa doubling time measured through the psa test. doctors can follow how quickly a tumour is advancing, and whether or not it requires more aggressive forms of treatment.
in some instances, patients stop responding to hormone suppressing injections, which is called non-metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (nmcrpc). for these patients, psa levels continue to rise, but the cancer hasn’t metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body. until recently there were few solutions for this patient population.
in couture’s case, regular monitoring of his psa levels enabled his doctor to observe the prostate cancer’s progression, knowing that if the cancer continued to grow, treatments to delay it from reaching an advanced stage were available. ideally, patients with prostate cancer should get their psa levels checked at least every three months to understand if a tumour is growing and at risk of spreading.
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treating prostate cancer to delay the progression to the advanced stage is of the utmost importance. unfortunately, advanced prostate cancer often spreads to the bones and elsewhere, a phenomenon closely tied to high levels of pain and discomfort.
according to laurent proulx, president and ceo of procure , an organization dedicated to the fight against prostate cancer through research, outreach, education and support to the one in seven men who will be diagnosed with this disease during their lifetimes and their loved ones, options exist depending on the severity of the cancer and the overall health of the man.
“a patient who, ten years ago, would’ve been operated on right away, with the risks and consequences that would’ve come from that, today, would be more likely to be under cautious observation.” said proulx. “we can have that conversation now, and more options means we can find a better pathway to beating cancer.”
according to proulx, the questions a man with a prostate cancer diagnosis needs to ask himself is: “what impact on my daily life will this have? if i choose a treatment amongst all options available to treat my cancer, what will this do to my life? what kind of quality of life do i want for the next 10, 15, 20 years?”
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procure’s website receives 50,000 visitors a month. in the beginning, proulx said it was often the wives of men diagnosed who would ask questions. today, men are more comfortable discussing the subject themselves — although jokes about invasive prostate exams and decreased sexual performance persist, which keeps prostate cancer talk an uncomfortable subject for some.
couture’s advice for men who are susceptible to getting prostate cancer : as you approach your 50s, start thinking about prostate cancer. men with a heightened risk may want to speak with their doctor about adding the test to their regular blood work, even when no symptoms are present. and for men living with prostate cancer, continue to monitor your psa levels, and if levels are increasing, or doubling quickly, this could lead to a discussion with your physician about ways to help slow the progression of the disease.
“it’s not hard to do the psa test. it was really my doctor who encouraged me to get tested, which is how we found out. if i hadn’t gotten tested, it could’ve developed and become more severe.”
procure offers a toll-free line to specialized nurses, accurate information via articles, webinars, conferences and much more, as well as support for research through it’s biobank’s biospecimens and data of the highest quality and scientific value to better understand prostate cancer.
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“there’s no reason for a man to be alone when he receives this diagnosis,” says proulx. “it’s a confidential service to help men and their families.”
to learn more about the importance of ongoing psa testing in prostate cancer, visit www.procure.ca .
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of janssen inc.
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