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The American Cancer Society estimates that in 1998, 345,000 Americans will be told they have prostate cancer. In addition to that, they also predict that deaths from prostate cancer in the U.S. will reach 41,400 this year, nearly as much as breast cancer (Rubin, 39). By far the biggest factor in the sharp rise of prostate- cancer diagnoses is the increasingly widespread use of the PSA test, which in many cases can detect the disease early in its course, long before the tumor becomes palpable. Many urologists recommend that men over 50 get an annual PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test, which measures a protein that rises when prostate cancer is present. A PSA count of below 3.5-4 is considered at a safe level. Another blood test is now available for men whose PSA results fall between 4-10, what doctors consider a gray area ( Rubin, 40). Upon detection of dangerously high PSA levels, biopsies are needed to know if cancer exists for sure. The new free PSA test, which measures PSA which floats free or is not bound to proteins, help doctors rule out cancer in about 25 percent of men in the questionable range. This trend will have a significant impact on community health. If these diagnostic procedures prove true, that means about 200,000 fewer men will have to undergo biopsies each year ( Rubin, 43). Not only will we be on our way to conquering prostate cancer, those who do get the disease will find out about it in a non-invasive method. Considering the area of the body we are dealing with as well as the biopsy procedure involved, many men can breathe a little easier.
In the U.S., 15,800 new cases of invasive cervical cancer occurred in 1995, and 4,800 women died of the disease, according to statistics from the American Cancer Society (Hinterhauser, 31). Each year, more than 50 million U.S. women have Pap smears to screen for cervical cancer. After a woman has a Pap smear, she waits two weeks for the result.
