There are many disease awareness initiatives in September. Two of them shine the spotlight on prostate cancer and ovarian cancer — both diseases in which being aware of the symptoms and risk factors are particularly important because early detection and  early treatment are so important.

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men.  One in six men will get prostate cancer and one in 36 men who get it will die of it, according to the American  Cancer Society.

In Illinois, 9,030 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year alone, and 1,330 can be expected to die from it, according to an estimate by the Illinois State Cancer Registry.

The Illinois Department of Public Health, which is promoting heightened awareness of ovarian and prostate cancers this month, says men most at risk for prostate cancer are over 50, African-American and those who have a close family member who’s had the disease.

Signs of prostate cancer: impotence, blood in urine, pain in the spine, hips, ribs or other bones, weakness or numbness in legs or feet and a loss of bladder or bowel control, according to public health.

Men at average risk should talk to their doctors about prostate cancer screening starting at age 50. Consult your doctor at 45 if you fall into the most-at-risk category, and at 40 if you’ve had several family members who have had the disease, the public health department advises.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women according to the cancer society. The state cancer registry has projected 990 women in Illinois will be diagnoses with ovarian cancer this year and 660 Illinois women will die from it.

Ovarian cancer is more common for women after menopause and women with a family history of the disease on either the mother’s or father’s side of the family.

The risk is lower for women who have taken birth control pills for five years or longer, those who have had children, those who have breast-feed their children and those who have undergone a hysterectomy or tubal ligation.

Ovarian cancer can easily go undetected in its early stages. Health experts advise women to see their doctors if they are experiencing bloating or pelvic or abdominal pain, having trouble eating or feeling full quickly, or feeling the need to urinate urgently or often.
 

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