Make a Statement Against Prostate Cancer | ONS Connect

[By Megan Kilpatrick, RN, BSN, OCN?, CHPN]

It takes a?lot to get a?man to wear a?bright blue bow tie, espe?cially if that man is a?Divi?sion I?bas?ket?ball coach or admin?is?tra?tor. But that is just what over 70 African-??American men are doing from Feb 18?26 to high?light the risk that African-??American men face from prostate cancer.

Prostate can?cer is the fourth lead?ing cause of death among African-??American men, and the mor?tal?ity rate is dou?ble that of men of other races/?ethnicities. African-??American men have a?1?in 5?chance of being diag?nosed with prostate can?cer in their life?time, and that num?ber goes up if they have a?rel?a?tive with prostate can?cer. Researchers aren?t sure why African-??American men have such high rates of prostate can?cer, but stud?ies are?underway.

Symp?toms of prostate can?cer can include blood in the urine, dif?fi?culty uri?nat?ing, pain or burn?ing while uri?nat?ing, inabil?ity to uri?nate, or pain in the pelvis, thighs, or lower back. How?ever, many men with prostate can?cer have no symp?toms at?all.

Cur?rently, only two tests can help screen for prostate can?cer: the dig?i?tal rec?tal exam (DRE) and the prostate-??specific anti?gen (PSA), a?blood test. Most peo?ple are famil?iar with these tools; how?ever, they aren?t per?fect tests, and both can have false read?ings affected by other?factors.

Right now, the jury is out over whether reg?u?lar screen?ings are ben?e?fi?cial or not. Cur?rently, the U.S. Pre?ven?tive Ser?vices Task Force does not rec?om?mend screen?ing men 75?years of age and older for prostate can?cer, and says that there is not enough evi?dence to rec?om?mend in favor of or against screen?ings in men younger than 75. Providers who encour?age screen?ing say it helps detect dis?ease early and can save lives?especially in men who have a?fam?ily his?tory of prostate can?cer. Providers who rec?om?mend against reg?u?lar screen?ing say some cases of prostate can?cer may never affect a?man?s life, and the treat?ment of prostate can?cer by itself can cause debil?i?tat?ing side effects such as impo?tence and incontinence.

So what?s a?RN to do? While PSAs and DREs aren?t per?fect, they?re the only screen?ing tools we have. Edu?cate your?self about the risks and ben?e?fits of screen?ing so that you can edu?cate your patients. Make sure that your patients are informed about the symp?toms of prostate can?cer and that they under?stand their?risk.

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Megan Kilpatrick, RN, BSN, OCN?, CHPN, is an infusion nurse at the MultiCare Regional Cancer Center in Tacoma, WA. She is also a Butterfield Ethics Fellow at Seattle Pacific University, where she is working on her MSN degree. Her professional interests include adult oncology, palliative care, the caregiver experience, and evidence-based practice. Outside of nursing, she's a self-professed news junkie who likes traveling off (and on) the beaten path, having random adventures with her fantastic husband, and is at her happiest whipping up culinary masterpieces in her tiny kitchen while listening to her collection of vintage records. Read more articles by Megan Kilpatrick --

RE:Connect | awareness, prostate cancer | Trackback

Source: http://www.onsconnect.org/2012/02/reconnect/make-a-statement-against-prostate-cancer

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