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Getting a prostate cancer screening early and regularly is very important. Prostate cancer is relatively common for men. Fortunately, at Arkansas Urology, we know that prostate cancer if caught early is very treatable. You are good to be proactive and ask questions about your risk factors. Several different factors contribute to this cancer and when it occurs. Risk factors for prostate cancer differ from risk factors of most types of cancers. So who is most likely to develop prostate cancer?

Age is the greatest risk factor. The older you are, the more likely you are to develop prostate cancer. About 80 percent of men who reach age 80 will have some prostate cancer cells in their prostate. About 6 in 10 cases of prostate cancer are in men 65 and older. It’s rare in men younger than 40. In the U.S., the average age of a man just diagnosed with prostate cancer is 66 years old.

African American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men. The cancer is also more likely to be advanced when it is diagnosed. Hispanic men have a lower risk of prostate cancer than white men.

Family history also plays a large role in whether or not you develop prostate cancer and when it occurs. If your father or brother had prostate cancer, your risk is doubled. Actually having a brother with prostate cancer seems to increase your risk more than your father. Multiple family members and the age of their diagnoses also affect your risk. Also, if you have a family history of genes that increase the risk of breast cancer (BRCA1 and BRCA2), it can increase your risk for prostate cancer.

Smoking, diet and obesity have been shown to be factors for aggressive prostate cancer but they aren’t necessarily a factor for low-risk prostate cancer.

Screening for prostate cancer should start earlier if you have risk factors present. At Arkansas Urology, our team of physicians can help you know your risk factors and when to be screened. Give us a call today at 1-800-255-1762.

Pelvic health is a factor of our lives that many people don’t begin to consider until they start experiencing age and illness. Being proactive is the key to promoting pelvic health and maintaining it through life. Here is our advice for steps you can take right now: 

3. Understand the Way the Body Ages
As we age, the body lessens its collagen production leading to decreased connective tissue and more stress on the area. This can be lessened with the addition of some supplements, like glucosamine or chondroitin sulphate.

The important thing to remember about pelvic health is that prevention is key. Consistency with pelvic floor exercises, particularly during pregnancy, and a generally healthy lifestyle are the best ways to promote and maintain pelvic health.

June is celebrated across the country as Men’s Health Month with a variety of preventative screenings, health fairs and other education and outreach events.

Men are known to be big, strong and invincible. However, men’s desire to resist health care is dangerous. It’s the women in their lives who get them to go to their doctors. Cancer, unintentional injuries, diabetes, suicide and stroke are some of the top causes of death for men.

Many of these have early signs and symptoms and can be prevented and treated if caught early. But, society has traditionally expected when boys grow into men that they be tough and ignore pain. So most men push through symptoms and hide their feelings, thinking this makes them more of a man. Unfortunately, that just makes men more likely to die from these conditions.

Why the need for an entire month devoted to your health? Because, most men are stubborn when it comes to health care. A large number of men don’t actively engage in preventative health or the health care system early in life. And the older guys get, the less likely they will get involved with their health and more likely they will have excuses like: “We are busy,” “I’ll be ok,” “It’s too expensive,” “I feel fine,” or the worst of all, “I don’t ever get sick.”

Men are 17% more likely than women to have cancer and twice as likely than women to have hearing loss. They are 50% more likely than women to die of heart disease. And yet, men are 50% less likely than women to seek preventative care. A man’s wife, children, grandchildren and friends love him and need him in their lives. Men guide them, amuse them, comfort them and challenge them. Don’t be a statistic. Real men do admit when something isn’t right. Real men go to the doctor.

At Arkansas Urology Men’s Health, we give men 10-point checkups daily. These tests go well beyond low testosterone and prostate related issues to blood sugar, sleep, sexual health, thyroid and more. See more the full list at www.arkansasurology.com/menshealth.

As we enter the summer of 2020, real men do take care of themselves. It’s smart. And will allow men to likely live a longer, healthier life. Contact us today if you are interested in a free men’s health screening.

June is Men’s Health Month, and it’s all about raising awareness for a variety of conditions unique to men. We want to take a moment to share a few simple — yet important — facts about men’s health with you. Routine urological checkups are extremely important for men, especially once you turn 50 years of age. Several conditions are highly treatable when caught early.

Some facts you should know include:

1. A low level of testosterone may cause men to experience fatigue, weight gain, hair loss and sexual dysfunction. If you suspect low testosterone, get it tested.

2. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate, isn’t cancer and hasn’t been linked to cancer. However, it can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as painful urination, weak urine flow and urinary incontinence.

3. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States. However, when detected early, it’s highly treatable and curable.

4. Erectile dysfunction is not considered normal, and it doesn’t just occur in older men. It can occur at any age, and a variety of factors may contribute to the problem.

5. A PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test measures the level of a protein produced by the prostate that circulates in the blood. You should get tested annually, as elevated PSA levels can indicate a variety of problems, ranging from inflammation to cancer.

6. Tumors caused by testicular cancer are most common in men between the ages of 20 and 40. They’re also highly curable. You should perform monthly self-exams and schedule an appointment if you detect anything abnormal.

7. There are three levels of prostatitis (an inflammation of the prostate): nonbacterial prostatitis, acute bacterial prostatitis and chronic prostatitis. If you experience difficulty urinating, pelvic pain, pain in the lower back and a burning feeling while urinating, you should schedule an appointment with your urologist as soon as possible to get to the root of the issue.

Your health is very important to us, and we encourage you to keep up with all routine exams, even if you haven’t developed any new symptoms. If you do experience symptoms, it’s best to get them checked out right away before conditions have the chance to get worse. This Men’s Health Month, take control of your health and take steps toward being more proactive.

At Arkansas Urology, we’re here for you. Our patients’ health has been and will always be our top priority! Contact us today to schedule your appointment, or book your appointment online.

Urinary incontinence affects twice as many women than men and is very common. It’s embarrassing but you might be surprised to know the number of women and probably your friends who struggle with the same thing. The good news is there are several solutions including bladder training. Bladder training can help manage the symptoms of urinary incontinence and overactive bladder. Many people are embarrassed to talk about urinary incontinence, even with a urologist, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. With some help from your doctor, you can experience the noticeable differences that bladder training can make in your day-to-day life.

Bladder training can control wetting accidents, frequency (the need to urinate often) and urgency (the uncontrollable, sudden need to urinate) to a degree by helping you change your urination habits. When you begin, your doctor will likely ask you to keep a record of certain information, such as how often you need to urinate each day and night. That, along with other information, will help your doctor develop a bladder training program unique to you.

Some helpful, common bladder training techniques are listed below:

• Scheduled Restroom Visits: Some people find it helpful to control urination by scheduling their trips to the restroom. This works by planning to go to the restroom and urinate at set times, regardless of whether or not you feel the need to go. Over time, you can increase the amount of time in between bathroom breaks until you find a schedule that comfortably works for you.
• Kegel Exercises: These exercises are designed to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which will allow you to stop the flow of urine more easily. This is especially helpful for women.
• Delayed Urination: When you feel the sudden urge to urinate, try to hold your urine for another five to ten minutes. You can gradually increase the amount of time that you hold your urine until you can hold it for a few hours in between trips to the bathroom.

Some lifestyle changes can also help you keep incontinence and OAB under control, such as limiting caffeinated beverages and alcohol, and not drinking anything a few hours before bedtime.

Remember that your doctor will be able to help you find the right mixture of bladder training techniques for your unique situation. And as May is Women’s Health Month, now is the time to take charge of your health and bladder. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your urologist and take back your quality of life!

At Arkansas Urology, we’re here for you. Do you have questions? We have answers! Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our professionals, or book an appointment online in minutes.

Most men are advised to be screened annually or every other year for prostate cancer depending on their age and family history. Screening may consist of a blood test which measures prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal exam (DRE). At Arkansas Urology, we are closely following the CDC guidelines and performing only performing urgent and emergent cases as approved by the Arkansas Dept. of Health. These cases may include kidney stones or situations where somebody is unable to urinate or cases in which an increased risk of prostate cancer is time-sensitive. Due to the COVID-19, we are not doing all prostate cancer biopsies right now, but definitely those who are at high risk. To avoid a potential risk of Infection, we are utilizing the transperineal prostate biopsy rather than the standard transrectal biopsies.

When somebody is at high risk of cancer, there may be a need to do a biopsy procedure to find out if the patient has cancer or not. If the patient has a confirmed elevated or rising PSA or an abnormal DRE, the next step is often to proceed with a transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. However, due to the risks right now being associated with the coronavirus, we have started doing transperineal biopsies, which goes through the skin directly into the prostate gland, which decreases the risk for infection dramatically. The last thing we want to do is cause an infection and a patient end up in a local ER.

In a transperineal biopsy, the urologist passes the biopsy needle through the perineal skin and into the prostate, rather than passing the biopsy needle through the potentially contaminated rectum which may pose a higher risk of infection. The biopsy needle is still guided by an ultrasound placed in the rectum. Transperineal biopsy is appropriate for all patients, but may specifically benefit patients with the following conditions:

• History of infection after a previous transrectal biopsy
• History of prostatitis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Rectal bleeding complications after previous biopsy
• Previous negative transrectal biopsy with suspicion of anterior prostate tumor

The main benefit is safety, due to the lower risk of severe life-threatening infection. Also, with a transperineal approach it is much easier to access the anterior prostate, which is not well sampled with transrectal biopsy.

After COVID-19 subsides, we will all be stronger because of what we have gone through as a state, nation and world. In healthcare, I do think a silver lining in all of this will be how many physicians are learning new procedures like this one and being taught new ways to practice medicine like telehealth. I think we will do more transperineal biopsies in the future. While most biopsies will continue to be transrectal, certain patients will be better suited for a transperineal approach.

Many patients who have prostate cancer, may be referred to the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Center, which offers radiation therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Patients with prostate cancer also have several treatment options, including: surgery, external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), prostate brachytherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, cryosurgery and watchful waiting.