Genetic Studies Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer being a huge cause of mortality and medical expense in men age forty and above has only recently become a topic of general conversation to men in America (Plowden, 2009). African-American men are affected by prostate cancer at a disproportional level than all other men. They are diagnosed up to 65% more frequently and the mortality rate is twice that of Caucasian counterparts (Emerson, 2009). The African-American male is also less likely to take advantage of free prostate cancer screening (Oliver, 2007).

In the case for PSA screening, PCa is the leading internal malignancy in US men and the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Early detection of prostate cancers offers the best chance of cure. The PSA blood test is the best chance of cure. Currently, the PSA blood test is the best currently available way to detect PCa and it is easy, safe and inexpensive. PSA test results is a piece of information, it is what doctors do with the information that becomes the issue. However, the great majority of PSA detected tumors have the histologic characteristics of clinically important cancers. Also, PSA detection has found tumors early advancing the diagnosis by Seeral years (5-13) and prostate cancer mortality rates in U.S have decreased by 4% (patho book) since 1992, which is 5 years after initiation of prostate screenings. The dilemma is over treating the clinically unimportant disease versus under

Another method to detect this cancer is with a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). Protein in the blood that is produced only by prostate cells is reflected the volume of both benign and malignant prostate tissue in the PSA. The higher the PSA level is the more likely it is that Prostate Cancer present. (“Prostate

A biological influence on this health disparity is a genetic predisposition seen in African American men. Several studies have shown a chromosome that is more common in African American men that increases the risk of prostate cancer. The chromosome is 8q24 variants, which is the most commonly seen, as well as, BCL2 and EphB2 linking to a higher incidence of prostate cancer (Modlin, 2012). The genetic predisposition has also been proven to cause prostate cancer to be a more aggressive disease in African Americans, likely leading to the higher mortality rates. The behavioral influence of being less likely to get screened and the biological influence of a genetic predisposition interact to influence the health disparity.

African Americans carry an uneven share of the cancer load in the United States, having the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial or ethnic group for most cancers. In this article, I will provide updated data for African Americans on cancer rate, death, survival, and cancer screening. I also estimate the total number of deaths prevented among African Americans as a result of the decline in cancer death rates since the early 1990s.

Each year approximately 233,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (Eggener, Cifu, & Nabhan, 2015). In 2015, prostate cancer was the second most common cancer related cause of death among United States men (Eggener, et. al., 2015). While the majority of prostate cancers are slow growing with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 98%, statistics show that when prostate cancer is identified as metastatic, the 5-year survival rate dramatically drops down to 20-25% (Eggener, et. al., 2015). According to these numbers alone, it appears screening for prostate cancer would be a well-accepted practice. However, current methods of screening for this cancer are controversial and has lead organizations like the U.S Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) to different guidelines for screening.

The fact is African-American men have the 2nd highest five-year survival rate in the world, after U.S. white men. If race then does not matter, then why do Blacks still have a higher incidence and mortality from prostate cancer? We can break the factors into categories related to incidence and/or

The paper Prostate Cancer Screening is written as an analysis of the controversy on the use of screening for prostate cancer. The paper itself is written between doctors Elie Mulhem, Nikolaus Fulbright, and Norah Duncan. The analysis, while likely directed to those in the medical field, is tailored to be easily understood by laypeople. While the paper itself is a somewhat brief, surface level analysis of the situation, it does support the notion that prostate cancer screening through methods like prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and digital-rectal examinations (DRE) have questionable effectiveness. The intention of the paper appears to persuade doctors and the public to the viewpoint that prostate

According to the ACS Statistics of cancer incidence rates among US males for 2003-2007, prostate cancer occurs more commonly in African American men than in white males (ACS, 2011-2012). Therefore, it is not only essential, but also vital to increase knowledge on the subject matter, raise general awareness, and promote shared decision making about screening and testing procedures. The authors of this academic paper had realized how important prostate cancer screening among African American men is, and thus their main objective was to initiate a scientific Prostate Cancer Screening Decision

The most accurate way to detect cancer cells inside the prostate gland is the surgical removal and histopathological examination of the entire gland. As this approach is clinically inapplicable to each patient with suspicious findings, Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostatic biopsy is considered the standard diagnostic procedure for the detection of prostate cancer for patients with a high suspicion for prostate cancer 1.

Many people assume to have cancer there needs to be a diagnosis, but what if cancer lives in everyone? Hypothetically, but almost literally cancer is like a car crash considering the body works like the gas pedal controlling the speed of cell division although sometimes “cancer cuts the brake lines” causing cells to divide too quickly ultimately the crash happens without the possibility of stopping it (Windelspecht). Basically the body has the control to cause cancer to form. Michael Windelspecht in her TED Talk titled, “The Cancer Gene We All Have,” reports the body having genetic mechanisms to control cell division such as, BRCA1 also known as the breast cancer susceptibility gene 1. BRCA1 belongs to tumor suppressor genes that helps repair some mutations, unfortunately some mechanisms work better than others causing some individuals to be diagnosed with cancer and others not to be. Cancer is a genetic mutation although anyone could get diagnosed.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common sexual diseases men. It rarely causes death in men younger than 50 years old “For older men with prostate cancer, a focus on prevention and management of comorbid health conditions is an important aspect of their health” (Ketchandji, Melanie, et al. 29), and most of deaths occur in men who are older than 75 year old (Qaseem, Denberg, Owens, & Shekelle, 2013). African American men have higher risk of getting prostate cancer than all other men (Oliver, 2007). Prostate cancer is a disease where malignant cells are detected in the prostate. Prostate is a very important sexual glad for all men it is located below the bladder, and its job is to make a fluid that becomes a part of semen.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a glycoprotein that is mainly prostatic epithelial cells. The majority of PSA is generated in the Transitional Zone (TZ) of a prostate gland (1).

Prostate cancer and hormone treatment to address this disease is one approach some have taken. The idea with this type of treatment is to decrease the production of testosterone that could stimulate the cancerous prostatic cells.

Acid Phosphatase is an enzyme found in seminal fluid. It comes from the prostate gland (Johnson 2009). Typically, the more Prostatic Acid Phosphatase found in a sample of semen is a sign of prostate cancer. This is important because the Acid Phosphatase Color Test was once used to determine of a male had prostate cancer. It was later replaced by Prostate Specific Antigen, aka PSA. Forensic scientists still use this test to identify semen, however. In 1938, Gutman and Gutman reported increased levels of acid phosphatase in patients with metastatic prostate cancer (Taira, Merrick, Wallner, and Dattoli, “Reviving the Acid Phosphatase Test for Prostate Cancer”). It was later replaced by the Prostate Specific Antigen in 1971 (Taira, Merrick, Wallner, and Dattoli, “Reviving the Acid Phosphatase Test