Screening For Cancer After Prostate RemovalThe nature of malignant cells is to grow in other parts of the body. While benign tumors can also wreak havoc, malignant ones are much worse. Unfortunately, even after removing a tumor, it is not always easy to determine if all of the malignant cells are gone. Therefore, screening for cancer after prostate removal is still very important. For the most part, routine screening for cancer after prostate removal will consist of PSA blood exams. If you needed to go for chemotherapy, your doctor may also want you to take another kind of blood test, known as a tumor marker. In some cases, this type of screening for cancer after prostate removal can help alert doctors to the presence of developing secondary tumors in other parts of the body. Screening for cancer after prostate removal may not always immediately yield accurate results. As an example, for some reason, elevated PSA readings may be found, even though there is no organ present. Depending on the imaging tests you had prior to surgery, your doctor may want to follow up with some additional CT scans to see if there are any other tumors. While these imaging studies are important to detecting secondary sites, they are not without risk. Therefore, they are not the first choice that doctors will pursue while screening for cancer after prostate removal. Unfortunately, just because a person has survived one type of cancer, it does not immunize them from all other kinds of cancer. Thus, screening for cancer after prostate removal also involves making sure that no other malignancies are present. As an example, you will still need to undergo routine colonoscopies, testicular exams, skin cancer exams, and chest x-rays. Irregardless of where cancer arises, there can be any number of factors that enabled it to exist. That said, primary tumors arising in different parts of the body associated with certain chemicals may help solidify clues about origin. While screening for cancer after prostate removal may not reveal every single cause, it is still the best way to make sure you get treatment as quickly as possible. Considering that many people fear a diagnosis of cancer in the first place, it is no wonder that men might not want to pursue screening for cancer after prostate removal. While personal choices have to be respected, it is important to realize that the only winner in delaying treatment is the malignancy. Many people that suspected the presence of cancer, or the return of it, often find themselves wishing that they had taken advantage of screening for cancer after prostate removal. Today, PSA screening is detecting prostate malignancies in men well before they reach 60. As a result, these men are living longer, and with a better chance of full recovery. Unfortunately, cancer after prostate removal can and does occur. In order to ensure that malignant cells from the prostate have not successfully colonized other parts of the body, PSA screening for cancer after prostate removal is still very important. Because other kinds of malignant cells can still develop from tissues in other organs, you will also still need to go for screening exams for other types of cancer. |