According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives. It’s currently the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men, just behind lung cancer.
While many diagnosed with the disease survive, prostate cancer still claims the lives of around one in 44 men.
Health professionals are warning that avoiding these routine checks can raise a man’s risk of dying from prostate cancer by a staggering 45 percent.
They say that implementing nationwide screening programs — especially those using PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests — could help detect the cancer earlier and open the door to better treatment options.
The results clearly suggest that PSA testing not only helps catch prostate cancer earlier but also reduces the risk of dying from it by about 20 percent.
The long-term research also shows a consistent link between fewer men attending screening appointments and a higher rate of death due to the disease.
This research was led by scientists from the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute at the University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. They analyzed data from a large group of 72,460 men.
Roughly one in six of the participants fell into the category of ‘non-attenders,’ meaning they had skipped every single screening appointment they were invited to.
On the other hand, men who did attend their appointments saw a 23 percent lower chance of dying from the disease. Those who skipped screenings entirely had a 39 percent higher risk overall.
Lead author Dr. Renée Leenen, M.D., Ph.D., from the Netherlands cancer institute, explained the difference, saying: “It may be that men who opted not to attend a screening appointment are care avoiders – meaning they’re less likely to engage in healthy behaviors and preventative care in general.”
Dr. Leenen also mentioned that medical teams need to do more to understand which men are missing appointments and why they’re opting out.
“This will help us to design population-based prostate cancer screening programmes that encourage higher rates of informed participation. Tackling attendance rates in this way could be a big factor in the long-term success of a national prostate screening programme,”
If you or someone you know is dealing with prostate cancer or simply has questions, the American Cancer Society offers confidential help 24/7. You can call them at 1-800-227-2345 or use their live chat feature at any time.
