Dear friend,

Today's e-letter is dedicated to men. But ladies, don't reach for your mouse to click on the little black cross in the corner of your screen. This is important information for the men in your life.

Considered the number one indicator of impending prostate problems, the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test measures the amount of a certain “tumour marker” (antigen) released into the bloodstream by cancer cells.

Although your PSA reading can rise for both Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) and cancer – a
sharp elevation is typically considered a telltale sign of prostate cancer.

Don't be misled by certain mainstream players who have determined that PSA screening can be a waste of time – and money. Their reasoning is that patients detected early do not necessarily live any longer than those detected later.

But that doesn’t take into account that new breakthroughs in all areas of medicine come to light on an almost daily basis.

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There is also some evidence that the PSA test can produce false positives...

In fact, one study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that in more than half of the cases where tests showed elevated PSA levels, they actually returned to normal in subsequent tests without treatment of any kind!

So, if your first test comes back with signs of danger, don’t panic. It might be worthwhile to schedule yourself for another test and a second opinion and decide on a course of action from there.

While there are a few criticisms of the accuracy and benefits of having your PSA tested, it is still widely used and generally accepted in the medical community as the first line of detection for BPH and prostate cancer.

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Get the first PSA reading done as early as age 50... Sooner if you have a family history of prostate cancer or symptoms

Remember however, when you go to have your prostate checked, get the PSA level drawn before the digital rectal exam. The prostate can get irritated during the digital examination, which could lead to an artificially elevated PSA reading.

Both BPH and prostate cancer develop very slowly – and if detected early enough both can respond favourably to mainstream and alternative treatments. So schedule your annual check-ups, early detection plays a huge role in successful treatment.

Have a good week,

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