The Cancer Care Center

Early Prostate Cancer Screening

The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system. It helps make semen and is located near the tube which carries urine out of the body. When cancer of the prostate is caught early, it is easy to treat. A simple prostate screening test can be your first defense against prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms

If you feel any of the following symptoms, you should make an appointment with your doctor to be evaluated for prostate cancer.

The early symptoms of prostate cancer include:

frequent or urgent need to urinate
slow stream or straining to urinate
waking up at night to urinate
blood in urine or semen

Should you get screened for prostate cancer?

Even without any signs or symptoms, the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Society recommend that men get annual screenings for prostate cancer. Screenings should begin at:

age 40 if you are African-American male or have a family history of prostate cancer
age 50 for everyone else

Prostate screening involves a blood test and a digital rectal exam (DRE). Depending on the results of the tests, your doctor may order a biopsy. While most biopsies are benign, if the mass is cancerous and is caught early, the success rate is much higher.

To schedule your prostate screening, contact St. Anthony's Cancer Care Center.

For information about St. Anthony's Cancer Care Center - St. Louis, please call 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit find a physician online.

At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.