For the Men We Love: A Woman’s Guide to Prostate Cancer Awareness

Most of my work centers around women’s health.

But September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and there are some health conversations that belong to the entire family.

Many of us are wives, partners, sisters, daughters, mothers, grandmothers and friends to men we love. We may be the ones reminding them to make an appointment, accompanying them to a doctor's visit, helping them understand unfamiliar medical language, or simply sitting beside them when a diagnosis changes everything.

So this month, I'm making room for an important conversation about prostate health.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲?

The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds part of the urethra, the tube through which urine leaves the body, and produces fluid that contributes to semen.

The prostate normally changes as men age. An enlarged prostate does not automatically mean prostate cancer.

Likewise, prostate cancer does not necessarily produce noticeable symptoms in its early stages.

That's an important distinction.

Understanding Risk

Age is one of the major risk factors for prostate cancer, with risk increasing as men get older.

Family history also matters. Men who have close relatives who have had prostate cancer—particularly a father or brother—may have greater risk.

Genetics can also play a role.

And there is an important disparity we should not ignore: Black men in the United States experience higher rates of prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality than men in many other racial and ethnic groups.

These differences make individualized conversations about risk and screening especially important.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗦𝗔?

PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by prostate cells.

A PSA blood test measures the amount of PSA circulating in the blood.

Here's something everyone should understand:

𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗦𝗔 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿.

PSA can be affected by other prostate conditions and circumstances.

At the same time, PSA testing can provide information that helps a clinician determine whether additional evaluation should be considered.

That's why prostate cancer screening isn't simply a matter of declaring PSA testing “good” or “bad.” Screening decisions should involve an informed conversation between a man and his healthcare provider based on factors such as his age, health, family history and individual risk.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱?

Not all prostate cancers behave the same way.

Some grow very slowly and may never threaten a man's life. Others are more aggressive and require treatment.

That's why understanding the characteristics of the individual cancer matters so much.

A man may hear unfamiliar terms such as:

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽: A system describing how abnormal prostate cancer cells appear and how aggressively the cancer is expected to behave.

𝗚𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲: An older but still commonly referenced grading system based on the microscopic appearance of prostate cancer cells.

𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿: Cancer that appears confined to the prostate.

𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿: Cancer that has spread from the prostate to other areas of the body.

𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Careful monitoring of certain prostate cancers rather than treating them immediately.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘆: Surgery to remove the prostate.

𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆: Treatment using high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells.

𝗔𝗗𝗧 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆: Treatment that reduces or blocks male hormones, particularly testosterone, that can stimulate prostate cancer growth.

Which option is appropriate depends upon the individual cancer and the individual man.

𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴

If you or someone you love receives a prostate cancer diagnosis, consider bringing these questions to the medical appointment:

1. ·What is my Grade Group and risk category, and what do they mean?
2. ·Does the available testing suggest that my cancer is confined to the prostate or has it spread?
3. ·What are all of my reasonable treatment options?
4. ·What are the potential benefits and side effects of each option, including effects on urinary, bowel and sexual function?
5. ·How quickly do I need to make this decision, and would another medical opinion be useful?

Write the answers down.

Better yet, when possible, bring someone you trust to the appointment.

A cancer diagnosis can make even familiar words difficult to process.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘁?

This is where my own work in naturopathy, nutrition and lifestyle medicine enters the conversation.

Lifestyle is important—but we need to be very clear about what that means.

Eating vegetables does not replace appropriate cancer treatment.

An herb does not replace a biopsy.

Exercise does not replace necessary imaging.

Natural health and appropriate conventional medical care do not have to be adversaries.

Supporting overall health through a predominantly whole-food, plant-forward eating pattern, regular physical activity, maintaining muscle, avoiding tobacco, getting adequate sleep and managing cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors remains valuable for overall health and quality of life.

That philosophy is at the heart of the work I teach.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲.

We're learning how to care for the whole person—and when we need each one.

𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗪𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼

This article may be about prostate cancer, but I am intentionally speaking to women as well.

Sometimes loving someone means nudging him to schedule the appointment he's been postponing.

Sometimes it means sitting beside him in an examination room.

Sometimes it means asking, “Do you understand what the doctor just said?”

Sometimes it means helping him research his options without trying to make the decision for him.

And sometimes it simply means reminding the men we love that taking care of themselves is not weakness.

It is stewardship.

So during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, start a conversation.

Ask the men you love whether they understand their personal risk and whether they've discussed prostate cancer screening with their healthcare provider.

One conversation could turn out to be far more important than either of you realizes.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲: 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭.