The diagnosis of former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer serves as a reminder of the importance of cancer screening.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of natural deaths among North Carolina men, behind lung cancer, according to the UNC men’s health program. The prostate is a gland that is located between the male bladder and the rectum and is part of its reproductive anatomy.
The Biden team announced its diagnosis on Sunday afternoon, saying that it had an increase in urine symptoms, which led to a prostate node. Biden’s team said its form of prostate cancer was aggressive and spread to its bones.
More than 180,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and about 40,000 will die of it. But if caught early, UNC Health says almost all men with this diagnosis can live five or more years. This drops to 34%after it has spread.
The American Cancer Society Lists seven medical establishments where men can go to be examined for prostate cancer within a radius of 50 miles of relic. All seven also offer screenings for cervical cancer, lungs, breast and colorectal.
These include:
▪ UNC REX Healthcare by Wakefield, relic
▪ Durham Va Medical Center, Durham
▪ University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
▪ Johnston Healthcare, Smithfield
▪ Emergency care for Carolina, Durham
▪ Emergency Care for Carolina, Chapel Hill
Call the American Cancer Company of the Cancer 800-227-2345 Or use the chat feature on the group’s website, cancer.org to find out about the options for potentially free screenings.
A 2021 study of UNC’s Health Program found that only 52% of men in North Carolina were examined for prostate cancer.
Symptom
More than 8,000 men in North Carolina were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2021. Among them was Senator Tom Tilis, a Republican from Huntersville. In March 2021, he publicly announced that he would undergo surgery after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Tilis said she had no symptoms.
“I am blessed that my cancer is discovered relatively early and I cannot emphasize how important routine screenings are, no matter how healthy thoughts,” Tilis said then. “I had no symptoms and I would never imagine that I had cancer. My prognosis is good because I went to my annual physically and received a PSA test that led to a biopsy and ultimately my diagnosis. Early detection can really save life.”
Tilis was among the first in North Carolina to respond to Biden’s news on Sunday, posting on social media that he and his wife Susan “were saddened to hear about President Biden’s prostate cancer and pray for his complete recovery.”
Annual
UNC encourages all men between the ages of 19 and 49 to receive physically at least every two years, and annual physically after 50. Even if the patient is healthy, the routine screen gives the doctors the patient’s baseline for blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and other things, so if something goes wrong, a doctor knows what is normal for this individual.
Between 50 and 69, but another 40, prostate screening is done annually to ensure that the patient remains healthy. After 69 years, doctors will work with their patients individually to determine whether a prostate exam is still needed.
Biden is 82.
Prostate cancer is the most common in black men or those with a family history, especially with a father or brother who has been diagnosed.
Exams for the prostate
In February, state reporter Rodney Pierce, Democrat from Halifax County, proposed a bill to provide $ 4 million to finance free or low prices prostate and subsequent care for uninsured or insufficient men in North Carolina.
In the same month in Congress, the Republican American Reputation Greg Murphy of Greenwil was among the legislators who suggested that insurance companies cover adaptation without imposing any requirements for sharing the cost of men with a high risk of prostate cancer.
Prostate test may include prostate -specific antigen blood test, digital rectal examination and biopsy.
Murphy, a urologist, encouraged men to ensure that their doctor does not stop the PSA blood test, but also conduct a rectal examination to catch potential signs of cancer that the blood test can miss.
“A person with” under normal “PSA may still have prostate cancer,” Murphy wrote on social media. “Therefore, a rectal examination of your doctor should also be done. Unfortunately, some doctors are ahead of a critical examination and relying only on the blood test. Make sure your doctor does both.”
Biden received a pouring of support from legislators, including Democrats and Republicans in North Carolina, who wished him a speedy recovery.