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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths — yet screening remains underutilized. A urologic oncologist breaks down who should get screened, how to interpret PSA results, and how to avoid overtreatment. By the time symptoms appear, it's often too late to act.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer), with an estimated 333,830 new cases and 36,320 deaths expected this year. Despite those sobering numbers, screening remains a nuanced conversation — and an expert is here to cut through the noise.
Herbert Lepor, MD, a urologic oncologist at NYU Langone's Smilow Comprehensive Prostate Cancer Center, spoke with Healio about the evolving landscape of prostate cancer care. He emphasized that screening should generally start at age 50, but Black men and those with a family history should begin at 45. He also flagged a common misconception: an elevated PSA doesn't automatically mean cancer — benign prostate enlargement and prostatitis can also raise levels.
On the treatment side, Lepor is most excited about focal therapy for focal disease, which targets cancer precisely while minimizing complications. For low-risk cases, active surveillance — with interval PSA, MRI, and possible re-biopsy — is often the right call to avoid overtreatment.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Prostate cancer symptoms often appear too late for effective treatment, making early screening critical. With new therapies gaining FDA approval and focal treatment offering fewer side effects, clinicians have more tools than ever — but only if cancer is caught in time.
