According to Dr. Oz, somebody dies from prostate cancer worldwide every 13 minutes. The number of cases in the United States however has dropped in recent years. Dr. Aaron Katz, author of Dr. Katz's Guide to Prostate Health: From Conventional to Holistic Therapies, says increased screening and early detection are the reasons for the decline. Dr. Oz talks with Dr. Katz about his approach to preventing and treating prostate cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, high levels of prostate-specific antigens—proteins produced by the cells of the prostate gland—in the bloodstream can be an indication of prostate cancer. Having PSA levels in your blood tested and monitored can help doctors catch prostate cancer early, and Dr. Katz says that in the future genetic testing will become common. "I think with genetic testing we will be able to get in earlier probably looking at men in their 20s to see who is going to develop this disease or not," he says.
Dr. Katz shares a few tips that could prevent men from developing or succumbing to prostate cancer.
Start getting your PSA levels tested at age 50.
African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer are at a higher risk of developing the disease. Dr. Katz says if you fall into either of these categories, you should have your PSA levels tested every year starting at age 40.
Reduce stress and adapt a low-fat diet. "Changing the lifestyle, reducing stress and reducing the fat load in your diet can be terrific for the prostate and can have other health benefits, like lowering your cholesterol and keeping your heart healthy," Dr. Katz says.
