Fathers' Day, Men's Health Week, and Men's Health Month Advice on Reducing the Risk of Dying From Prostate Cancer

NEW YORK, June 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- June is Men's Health Month, with June 13-19 being International Men's Health Week that leads up and includes Father's Day on June 19th.  Prostate cancer treatment expert Dr. David Samadi, Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, is urging men to use this time of increased awareness of men's health issues to pay closer attention to their overall health and well-being.  "Diseases specific to men, such as prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can be treated and cured with proper medical treatment," said Dr. Samadi.  He continued, "Especially in the case of prostate cancer, early detection is essential in the successful treatment of the disease.  During this month of heightened awareness about the health issues facing men, I would like to stress the importance of seeing your doctor for routine checkups and PSA tests; especially for men over the age of 50.  Those men with risk factors for the disease should start their prostate screening at age 40."

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110618/NY22376 )

"A man's greatest health advocate is a woman: his mother, wife, daughter, sister," said Dr. Samadi, "Men just don't consider seeing their doctors for regular medical visits or taking part in preventative care the way women do. We can, and should, learn a lot from women about proper medical habits however." Samadi went on to explain that women are more comfortable seeing their doctors and taking part in preventative measures because they begin seeing a gynecologist during their early teen years.  This is a habit that continues on a regularly and annual basis as the woman becomes older. However, many men are hesitant to see their doctor consistently and tend to only seek medical help when they are clearly sick or hurt.  "Because women start the process of regular annual visits to their specialists early in life, it becomes a standard part of being a woman.  It's understood that this is something that needs to be done to remain healthy.  Unfortunately men are not given the same encouragement in their younger years, and I feel this leads to a degree of hesitation by them to see a doctor due to embarrassment, fear, or simply not being comfortable with the process," commented Samadi.

According to Samadi, this results in a dangerous scenario when it comes to prostate cancer, a disease known as the silent killer due to commonly exhibiting no symptoms.  When the disease is caught early, prostate cancer has a highly successful cure rate.  Detection is most effective when the cancer is caught before it has spread beyond the prostate gland, which is why preventative care and regular screening should be viewed as essential by men.  In the event that prostate cancer does spread, the cure rate diminishes drastically.  Samadi added, "Prostate cancer can grow for years going unnoticed due to the lack of symptoms.  Regularly visiting a doctor for prostate cancer screening becomes a man's best defense against the disease."

"Avoiding the doctor, and refusing to address the medical problem, will not make things better," said Dr. Samadi, who has performed over 3,300 successful robotic prostate removal surgeries in his practice, "In fact, it's the exact opposite. The medical conditions that men face will not go away without proper treatment.  Annual physical exams are the perfect time for a man to talk to his doctor about those 'weird' aches and pains that they have been experiencing.  What a man considers a small problem may be an indicator of a much larger one requiring immediate treatment.  There's no reason for men to leave their health up to chance, and that's why regularly seeing a doctor is so important."

"PSA tests and digital rectal exams for prostate screening are seen by many men as embarrassing or uncomfortable.  This is understandable," said Dr. Samadi.  "However, gynecologic and cancer screening check-ups are no picnic for women either, and yet they submit to regular Pap smears and mammograms because they have families, people who love and need them.  The same goes for men. Imagine if the situation were reversed.  The man would encourage their loved one to get themselves checked out if something felt wrong, so they should not be relieved of the same duty.  This is a unique time of year where men's health is at the forefront of discussion, and I urge all men out there to pay close attention to the message being sent out on Fathers' Day, Men's Health Week and Men's Health Month."

A Fathers' Day Gift: Making Sure Dads Get A Prostate Checkup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQc2YYvWNLE&playnext=1&list=PLB3526F14846FF86A

Men's Health: Preventing Prostate Cancer

http://tinyurl.com/5ukcyus

Related Links: Smart-Surgery.com

SOURCE RoboticOncology.com