Male Speaker: Prostate cancer is by far the most common cancer in men. According to the American Cancer Society nearly 2 million men are currently affected by it.
The risk factors for the disease include being over the age of 40, being of African-American descent and having a family history of prostate cancer.
Dr. Mark Soloway: So if an individual has a father, brother, uncle, with prostate cancer depending on how many relatives or whether it is first degree, second degree they are clearly at increased risks.
Male Speaker: At the age of 68, Bobby Smith is still very competitive. Today near his home in Los Angeles, he's working on his golf swing.
Forty years ago Bobby Smith spent his Sunday afternoons as a defensive back in the National Football League. His first three seasons were with the then Los Angeles Rams and then his last two seasons were with the Detroit Lions. But years after his football career ended Bobby faced a formidable foe off the field, prostate cancer.
Bobby Smith: In my own particular case, I didn't want to hear that there were cancer cells in my prostate when it happened and my initial reaction was I'm going to die.
Male Speaker: This is not an unusual patient response. Doctors report that most men don't want to talk about prostate cancer or prostate health until it affects them.
Dr. Michael Morris: The man who has localized prostate is concerned about two things continence and potency. The man that I'm talking about is concerned about one thing survival and not just survival, but survival with a good quality of life.
Male Speaker: The prostate gland is a chestnut sized organ located below the bladder. It's part of the male reproductive system and its function is to add proteins to semen. An increase in one of these proteins, Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA may be the first sign that there's a problem. The PSA test is routinely given to men after the age 50.
Dr. Anthony D'Amico: There is no PSA level at which you can feel safe that you don't have prostate cancer. So it is how the PSA changes from year-to-year that matters.
Male Speaker: Bobby Smiths cancer was contained in the prostate, he wanted to avoid surgery. So he opted for radioactive seeds which where implanted in the prostate to fight the cancer.
Bobby Smith: I choose the seed implants and what happened is I went into the hospital on a Friday had the procedure done and I was back at work the following Tuesday or Wednesday I think and so that was perfect for me.
Male Speaker: When caught early 99 percent of men with prostate cancer survive at least five years according to the American Cancer Society.
From evaluation to treatment, doctors and patients say the medical care for prostate cancer has improved in just the past five years. So there is every reason for men and their families to have confidence in successfully fighting the disease.
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