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Prostate cancer awareness: Doctor talks screenings, misconceptions and more
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the time of year when we urge the men in our lives to get screened for prostate cancer. It can be a life-saving exam, especially for Black and Latino men.
Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men, and about one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, while being twice as likely in Black and Latino men.
Dr. Alfred Winkler, the chief of urology at New York Presbyterian's Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, joined the PIX11 Morning News to talk about screenings, misconceptions, preventative care, warning signs and more.
back to you guys all very interesting. OK John thank you. Well, a 34 and it's that time of year when we urge the men in our lives to get screened for prostate cancer, okay can be a lifesaving exam, especially for black and Latino men September. >> Is prostate cancer awareness month now is during one of those screenings last year when TV personality Al Roker was diagnosed with the disease. So let's break down the numbers, okay prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men about one in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. Prostate cancer also twice as likely to develop in black and Latino men and here's the scariest part only 31% of African American men over the age of 50 have been screened for the disease. Joining us this morning is doctor Alford Winkler he's the chief of urology at New York Presbyterian Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn so good morning to doctor. Thank you for being here this morning. >> Thank you for inviting me. >> So let's start with the basics because this is such an important topic right and look you know you guys will say I don't want to get screened. I don't need to you know it's it's an embarrassing process, what is prostate cancer first and foremost and one of the survival rates when it's detected early. >> So 2 very very important points prostate cancer is a cancer of called the prostate which has a number of functions. But issue that we deal with the prostate cancer is that there's a lot of fear among men just in terms of being evaluated for prostate cancer. And what everyone needs to remember is that valuation for prosecutor really begins just with the conversation. And that's conversation involves a discussion of your health, your risk factors and your family history and deciding whether or not. The recent visit to to 6 that we just spoke about yeah in particular reply to you. >> So look preventative care key. We know this we've talked about this a surviving prostate cancer right and then there's the age that men should start getting screened. What is that age because it that some people say well I thought it was 50 other was 45 that was 40 and is it a yearly screening. >> So that's why it's so important that this begins with a conversation because different for everyone. It's different depending on your ethnicity and it's different depending on your family history. There are folks who really don't need to consider this until the 50's and there are folks who it's a very important that you be evaluated, you start to have this conversation and reports so. Anyone who is concerned about this first reach out to your primary care doctor have a discussion about what your risk factors our and it's also very important to find out which family history. there are tons of people who don't have that awareness and that can mean the difference in whether or not you need to be evaluating your 40's are in your and look a lot of people during the pandemic didn't go to the doctor right they didn't go for their annual screenings that they should be even your annual physical. >> So now is the time and that's what we're talking about this but look there's a lot of misconceptions to about screenings. Some say was a little time com bowl. So can you clear some of that up for us this morning. >> Sure so first you brought up an incredibly important point which is during the pandemic everyone lost access to just about everything yeah, one of the most important things that we lost access to is health care and a lot of those routine checkups. We just missed. So now that fortunately because of all that we've got this New Yorkers to Mayor environment safe. It's important that you return to your doctor and get those checkouts and have those conversations and. As a man one of the most important conversations should have is about your risk for prostate cancer. And again it starts with a conversation. I think people are afraid that it automatically means a blood test or automatic means an exam and depending on you are personal history in your family history. It just may mean. Hey this is something that I need to think about and 5 years or 10 years, but it's important if you need to think about it immediately and that only learned after a conversation, so let me ask you this because I think it's such an important conversation here why. >> Is prostate cancer more prevalent in black and Latino men don't know if it's a short answer for that. >> So there's a lot of research going on with this and really nice to be more. We believe that it's multifactorial so at least some part it's genetic so that's just has to do with your ancestry. In part behavioral so as is the case many cancers, it's a patient's behavior, not in particular your diet OK so those are 2 the 2 most important components that we consider him a few seconds left here, but I just. >> When I what is a red flag for somebody who might say well I need to get screened is there a warning sign something you can see something you can feel. >> Prostate cancer at earliest has actually no symptoms and that's why we want to diagnose it at this point so I would not encourage someone to wait until. >> They had blood a new year and right or pain in their back. >> It's important that you're evaluating before the symptoms happened because when the symptoms occur. It could be evidence that the campers already spread outside the prostate. Prosecutor is incredibly curable when it's diagnosed I wanted to localize the survival rates approaching a 100% I 5 years if we can catch it can catch it early patients have many more choices, early detection is. >> Everything cannot stress that enough right doctor WINOKUR thank you so much for laying it all out really helping us raise the awareness for this ve
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Wow as a man i was on medical and asked for one how long for results to go and come back? Cause right that same day what a half are hour the most was told i was cancer free but asked how often should i get one never told and was just treated like shit.had to push this doctor to do more in Modesto. California on medical 😨😳😳😷😷just no im not younger