Shaune Shelby has personally witnessed the effects of prostate cancer. His father, Lawrence H. Shelby, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002.
“He never really talked to anyone in the family about it,” said Shelby. “It was heartbreaking to see a young-for-his-age man full of life sidelined by prostate cancer.”
At age 69, the father had his prostate surgically removed. In 2008, Lawrence Shelby passed away.
Unfortunately, he is among many who have been affected by prostate cancer. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.
Several types of cells are found in the prostate, but almost all prostate cancers develop from the gland cells. Gland cells make the prostate fluid that is added to semen. The prostate is not essential for life, but it’s important for reproduction.
Risk factors for prostate cancer include age – the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50; and race/ethnicity – prostate cancer occurs more often in African-American men than in men of other races. Black men are also more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, and are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as white men. Another risk is family history.
Prostate cancer is typically a very slow moving type of cancer, and most men diagnosed with it do not die from it. However there are some men who have an aggressive, lethal form. About 1 in 36 men will die from the disease.
“There are data that say men actually start developing prostate cancer in their 30s and 40s. It’s not usually detectable until the 50s and 60s. And the average man that dies from prostate cancer is in his 80s,” said Michael Koch, professor of urology and chairman of the department of urology at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Regular screenings can detect if a man in fact has prostate cancer. Doctors recommend the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. The PSA is a protein only produced by the prostate gland. Blood is drawn from the patient and PSA levels are checked.
Dr. Noah Hahn, assistant professor of medicine at the IU Simon Cancer Center said that the PSA test is not perfect, but provides some useful information about a man’s prostate. Hahn also believes that the PSA test is a piece of the puzzle that complements caring for the patient’s overall disease.
“Prostate cancer is not a one size fits all type of disease. It’s very important that each man who is diagnosed with prostate cancer undergo a counseling session to let them know what their risks are, what their treatment options are if treatment is even needed and what to expect from a quality of life standpoint from those treatments,” said Hahn.
Treatments include radiation or surgery. Side effects can occur and can cause loss of sexual function and loss of urination control.
Recent studies from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are raising questions about the usefulness of PSA screenings and wondering if the test saves men from lethal forms of prostate cancer. The task force does not recommend PSA screenings.
“I think this recommendation will be disastrous,” said Koch. “I’ve been a urologist for 24 years. When I started, half the men that came here with prostate cancer had disease in their bones. They all died. Today, 95 percent of men are curable and that’s all because of screening.”
Hahn agrees and added that men should continue making positive lifestyle choices to try to avoid or manage prostate cancer.
“We’ve not seen a clear smoking gun that we can point at in terms of prevention, but I wouldn’t say that in any way, men shouldn’t take an active part in their health care,” he said.
Hahn went on to say the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Association still recommends PSA screenings beginning at age 50 for men who aren’t at risk; Koch said men who have a family history or are African-American should start at age 40.
This issue is still under debate.
Shaune Shelby is not letting statistics or scholarly debate deter him from keeping his father’s legacy alive.
“Since my dad had prostate cancer, I thought to myself ‘I better find out what this cancer is all about,’” he said.
Being more proactive in his own health and realizing that his three young sons were never going to get to know their grandfather because of prostate cancer, Shaune Shelby founded “Bike It,” a 5-mile family ride and a 20 and 50 mile ride for cycling enthusiasts. Proceeds from the event go towards The Prostate Cancer Foundation. This year’s event will be July 4 in Redman Park in downtown Westfield. Registration begins at 7 a.m.; the ride begins at 8 a.m. The 5-mile ride is $20; the longer rides are $70.
Drawing from his father’s struggle with prostate cancer, Shelby hopes that people realize the severity of prostate cancer and the need to aid the problem.
“Men, take some initiative and know your health,” said Shelby.
For more information, call the American Cancer Society at (317) 344-7800; Bike It at (317) 605-4467, email bikeit01pc@gmail.com or visit bikeitpc.org.
