Prostate cancer is a common concern for men, but with early detection and monitoring, it can be managed effectively.

Providers screen for and follow prostate cancer with a simple blood test called the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test.

“The majority of men have no signs or symptoms of prostate cancer,” says Dr. Lauren Cooley, a urologist and urologic oncology specialist at Tidelands Health Urology. “But understanding your PSA value and trends over time can help your physician assess your risk of developing prostate cancer.”

Medical experts and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, or NCCN, recommend that men undergo PSA screenings every one to two years between the ages of 45 and 75.

“At 45, your PSA number should be under one,” Dr. Cooley says.

As you age, your PSA levels will naturally increase. However, it’s important to have your PSA monitored by your primary care physician or urologist, as significant increases can be concerning for cancer.

Screening early in life to establish your baseline PSA is important for detecting any significant changes over time.

“An elevated or rising PSA number should prompt you to go to a urologist,” Dr. Cooley says.

Prostate cancer can be diagnosed at any PSA value, but PSA numbers between four and 10 reveal prostate cancer in about 25 percent of cases. Patients with a PSA over 10 have a 50 percent chance that prostate cancer is present, and it is more likely to have already spread outside of the prostate.

While prostate cancer tends to present with few to no symptoms for most men, that’s not always the case. For some, trouble urinating or having blood in their urine should be a cause for concern.

That’s because the prostate gland sits below the bladder and wraps around the urethra, the tube that leads out from the bladder. The prostate’s job is to secrete seminal fluid to transport sperm.

As the gland swells with age, it squeezes the urethra. This can cause difficulty urinating.

Because most prostate cancers are slow-growing, they can often be monitored one to two times a year. However, most prostate cancers are readily treatable, either through radiation or by removing the prostate entirely.

In cases when prostate cancer spreads, it typically spreads to the lymph nodes in your pelvis or bone.

“Pain in the bones, such as hip or back pain and weight loss tend to be signs of prostate cancer that has spread outside of the prostate,” Dr. Cooley says.

NCCN recommends starting PSA screening at age 45.

Men at the highest risk of developing prostate cancer and may require more frequent monitoring are those who:

• Have at least one first-degree relative, like your father or brother, who has had prostate cancer.
• Have at least two extended family members who have had prostate cancer.
• Are Black, a race that has a higher risk of developing more aggressive cancers.
• Have genetic mutations such as BRCA1/BRCA2.