Wednesday, June 25, 2003

What men need to know about prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer found in American men. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 220,999 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. this year. One man in six gets prostate cancer and one man in 32 dies of the disease.

No one knows what causes prostate cancer but certain risk factors are linked to the disease. Some risk factors such as diet can be controlled, but others, such as a person's age, race, or family history, can't be changed. Eighty-five percent of all prostate cancers are found while they are still within or near the prostate, a small, walnut-sized gland located near the rectum. The five-year survival rate for these men is nearly 100 percent.

NCCN Prostate Treatment Guidelines for Patients, information produced in a collaborative effort by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Cancer Society, can help men make the best possible treatment decisions by educating them about the disease and their treatment options. All patient guidelines are available free of charge at www.nccn.org or by calling NCCN toll free at 1-888-909-NCCN.

"The NCCN/ACS partnership provides men with prostate cancer the most current treatment information available in a language that is easily understood," said Rodger J. Winn, MD, chairman of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's Guidelines Steering Committee. "Using the same decision-making tools their doctors use helps to empower patients and opens the communication lines between them and members of their health care team."

Prostate cancer can often be found early through a combination of a digital rectal exam and by a blood test that checks the amount of PSA (prostate-specific antigen). According to the NCCN Prostate Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients, the best treatment depends on a number of factors. Variables to consider when determining treatment options include age, overall health, the stage and grade of the cancer, and feelings about the side effects of different treatments. The most common treatment options are surgery, radiation and hormone therapy. Some patients are carefully monitored but not treated until symptoms of their cancer develop.

"Prostate cancer can be treated in many cases, but not everyone responds to the same treatment," said Peter T. Scardino, MD, NCCN Prostate Cancer Panel chair and chairman of the Urology Department at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. "These guidelines allow men with prostate cancer to discuss their treatment options with their health care team."

NCCN Treatment Guidelines for Patients are derived directly from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for physicians. The guidelines, created and updated by physicians at NCCN's 19 member institutions, have become the standard for cancer treatment nationwide. The patient guidelines provide the same up-to-date information about treatment options as those for physicians, but are written in easy-to-understand language.

"Men living with prostate cancer need to understand their treatment options," said Mary A. Simmonds, MD, FACP, national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society. "These guidelines will help them become more active in their own health care and guide them through the decision-making process." For more information about the American Cancer Society, please call 1-800-ACS-2345 or go to www.cancer.org.

Other available treatment guidelines include topics on breast cancer, colon and rectal cancers, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, cancer pain management, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and anemia, and fever and neutropenia. The guidelines, also available in Spanish, are available free of charge on NCCN's Web site at www.nccn.org or by calling NCCN toll-free at 1-888-909-NCCN.