TriWest: Encourage prostate testing

PHOENIX — Besides skin cancer, prostate is the most common form of cancer in men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 2009, the National Cancer Institute estimated that nearly 200,000 men were newly diagnosed. That’s more than 500 men every day. This Father’s Day, on June 20, show the men in your life how much they mean to you. Encourage them to speak with their doctor about prostate testing.

One of the more common tests used to screen for prostate cancer is the prostate specific antigen test, or PSA test. According to the CDC, PSA is a substance made by the prostate. Men with prostate cancer, or other conditions related to the prostate, usually have higher levels of PSA in their blood.

Therefore, a PSA test is a simple blood test to check a man’s PSA levels.

TRICARE covers prostate screening tests for men who are:

• older than 50

• older than 40 and had a vasectomy

• ages 40-49 with a family history of prostate cancer.

Men who are the most physically active have a decreased risk for prostate cancer, as was indicated by 16 studies conducted between 1976 and 2002 and reported by “Sports Medicine” in 2004. Additionally, the studies found that exercise is beneficial for men who were undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

So the bottom line? It never hurts to exercise.

For more information on prostate cancer screenings, check out TriWest’s PSA information by visiting http://www.triwest.com/beneficiary/benefits.aspx and typing in the search tool “PSA.” You can also visit the CDC’s comprehensive guide to prostate cancer screening at www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/pdf/prosguide.pdf.