Breast cancer screenings have come a long way in 30 years. Can prostate cancer screenings do the same?
Breast cancer screenings have saved more than half a million lives over the last three decades.[1] Now, experts are pushing for the same growth with prostate cancer screenings for men.
This progress does not happen overnight.
The Rise of Breast Cancer Screenings
Starting in the 1960s, mammograms emerged as a viable screening tool for breast cancer nearly 60 years after the launch of x-ray imaging.[2] Screening recommendations soon followed, and have continued to evolve:
- 1976: Yearly screenings for women 50 and over,
- 1992: Yearly screenings for women 40 and over, and
- 2015: Yearly screenings for women ages 45-54.[3]
Regulations were introduced in the early 1990s. Congress passed the Mammography Quality Standards Act in 1994 to ensure widespread access to FDA-certified mammography facilities.[4]
Paving the Way for Prostate Screenings
Each year, 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1 in 41 will die of the disease.
Brian Goldner, CEO of toy company Hasbro, passed away on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, after a 7-year battle with prostate cancer.[5] Also on Tuesday, media host and composer John Tesh revealed his cancer had returned in October 2020. He was originally diagnosed in 2015 with a rare, aggressive form of prostate cancer.[6]
Providing comprehensive prostate cancer screenings matters more than ever before. HALO Diagnostics sends heartfelt condolences to the families of Brian Goldner and John Tesh and mourns for the 33,000 lives lost to this disease each year.
Advances are being made in prostate cancer screenings, including:
- PSA Density Test: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are higher in men with larger prostate glands, and PSA density test adjusts for that. The radiologist measures the volume of the prostate gland and divides the PSA number by the prostate volume.
- Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mpMRI): This MRI improves the accuracy of screening and distinguishes between aggressive and slow-growing cancers. The American Urologic Association recommends combining mpMRI with PSA testing prior to any biopsy.
- Liquid Biopsy: This simple urine test assesses mens risk of having clinically significant or high-grade prostate cancer prior to an mpMRI and before biopsy.
- Advanced Screening: An independent study indicates combining the ExoDx Prostate Cancer Test with a prostate mpMRI can help identify 100% of clinically significant prostate cancer.
HALO Diagnostics offers each of these screenings. If you or a loved one are looking to schedule a prostate cancer diagnostic test, give us a call at 760-469-8057. To schedule a complimentary case assessment, fill out the form below.
[I] Breastcancer.org. (2019). Mammograms, breast cancer treatment advances have saved hundreds of thousands of lives in last 30 years. Retrieved from https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/mammos-and-tx-advances-save-hundreds-of-thousands
[2] Nass, S.J., Henderson, I.C., & Lashof, J.C. (2001). Mammography and beyond: Developing technologies for the early detection of breast cancer. Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Committee on Technologies for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer.National Academies Press.
[3] American Cancer Society. (2021). History of ACS recommendations for the early detection of cancer in people without symptoms. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/health-care-professionals/american-cancer-society-prevention-early-detection-guidelines/overview/chronological-history-of-acs-recommendations.html
[4] Office on Womens Health. (2019). Improvements in breast cancer screenings. Retrieved from https://www.womenshealth.gov/30-achievements/05
[5] Ziobro, P. (2021, October 12). Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner dies age 58. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/hasbro-ceo-brian-goldner-has-died-11634072952
[6] Ruggiero, M. (2021, October 6). John Tesh discloses the ‘enormous amount of pain’ he felt during recent cancer diagnosis. USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/10/06/john-tesh-cancer-diagnosis-tumors-around-his-organs/6020781001
You should always consult with your doctor(s) when considering treatment options. HALO Dx provides MRI-guided prostate screenings, MRI-guided prostate biopsy, liquid biopsy tests, and genomic testing to facilitate informed decisions between doctors and patients. Learn more about HALO Dx’s advanced, minimally invasive prostate cancer and BPH treatments including Laser Focal Therapy and TULSA-PRO for whole gland and partial ablations. With the appropriate diagnostic results, our prostate disease experts help you answer any questions you may have about prostate cancer or BPH.
