Loma Linda University Medical Center Offers Tips to Help Men Understand and Prevent Prostate Cancer
Posted on: Monday, 15 September 2008, 18:00 CDT
LOMA LINDA, Calif., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- With an estimated one in six men being diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes, Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC), the nation's first hospital to utilize proton beam therapy for prostate cancer treatment, is urging men to get informed and take the appropriate steps to get screened regularly for prostate cancer if they are over 40 or in a high-risk group.
"The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that in 2008 more than 186,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 28,600 will die from this disease," said Mark Reeves, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Loma Linda University Cancer Center. "Here in San Bernardino County, approximately 150 of 100,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to the NCI's regional profile. But, with early screening and detection, prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent survivable."
HOW TO GET SCREENED
Prostate cancer screening takes about 10 minutes and includes a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam (DRE) by an urologist. LLUMC recommends yearly screening for all men over 40. However, for those in high-risk categories, including African-Americans, who have a greater occurrence rate than other populations, or men who have a family history of the disease, annual screenings should begin at age 35. LLUMC is taking telephone appointments for screenings at 1-800-78-CANCER. The call center will put callers in touch with the urology clinic to set up an appointment.
TYPES OF TREATMENTS
The survival rate for men diagnosed early with prostate cancer has increased dramatically over the last two decades, due to earlier detection, advanced detection capabilities and an expanding range of new therapies. The major treatment options for prostate cancer include radiation therapy, surgery, a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, alternative therapies, and watchful waiting. The choice of a treatment option may depend upon a patient's age, the stage of the disease, the advice of a physician, and quality-of-life issues resulting from the side effects of certain treatments. Patients should discuss all of the treatment options with their physician, and also do their own research into newly available techniques. The James M. Slater, M.D., Proton Treatment and Research Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center is one of the nation's largest and most advanced centers for the treatment of prostate cancer. For more information about prostate cancer treatment, visit http://www.protons.com/.
About the James M. Slater, M.D., Proton Treatment and Research Center, and Loma Linda University Medical Center
The James M. Slater, M.D., Proton Treatment and Research Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center was the first hospital-based proton therapy facility in the world. Established in 1990, it was the only facility of its kind in the United States until 2003. Loma Linda University Medical Center, a Seventh-Day Adventist institution, is among the largest private medical educational centers in the United States and the only one in inland Southern California. The Medical Center is also the only Level 1 Regional Trauma for four inland Southern California counties. Since its beginning in 1905, Loma Linda University Medical Center has been serving the worldwide community and is the international leader in infant heart transplantation and proton radiation therapy for cancer. The Medical Center, along with the Loma Linda University Medical Center East Campus and Loma Linda University Behavioral Medical Center, has nearly 900 patient beds and serves over 33,000 inpatients and 650,000 outpatients annually. Loma Linda University Medical Center has some of the leading clinical programs in the United States including outpatient surgery and neonatal care. It is licensed for 72 neonatal intensive care beds and is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world.
Loma Linda University Medical
CONTACT: Lisa Freeman, +1-818-597-8453, Ext. 4, lisaf@kevinross.net, forLoma Linda University Medical Center
Web site: http://www.protons.com/
Source: PRNewswire
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