喵咪社区

Experts at 喵咪社区 explain key issues that can affect men’s urological health 鈥� and what to expect at regular screenings.

Routine urological screenings can be among the toughest to get, whether out of embarrassment, fear or even simply not knowing which screenings to get at what age.

When it comes to feelings of embarrassment, Jeffrey Loh-Doyle, MD, a urologist with Keck Medicine鈥檚 喵咪社区 Urology, states that it鈥檚 important for clinicians to address those feelings: 鈥淚t鈥檚 our job to make you feel as comfortable as possible.鈥�

His colleague Hooman Djaladat, MD, adds, 鈥淢en鈥檚 health and screening is very important. When tumors are detected early, the chance of cure is much, much higher.鈥�

But some of the toughest folks out there can feel more than embarrassed 鈥� they may even be afraid.

To relieve any fear or embarrassment, these two experts, along with 喵咪社区 Urology鈥檚 Founding Executive Director Inderbir S. Gill, MD, have explained what patients can expect.

When to get a prostate cancer screening

When you turn 50, it鈥檚 a good idea to start yearly prostate exams. If you have a family history of prostate cancer, start at 40.

鈥淭hose in the African American community should be more vigilant,鈥� says Dr. Gill, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology, Shirley and Donald Skinner Chair in Urologic Cancer Surgery and associate dean of clinical innovation at the .

鈥淭here is some evidence that if they have cancer, it may be late to be detected and may potentially have more aggressiveness to it.鈥�

He adds that if you have symptoms like difficulty urinating, go in right away. The exam consists of a quick, painless digital exam of the prostate and a blood test to check your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

Screening for testicular cancer starts at home

It鈥檚 one of the most common cancers among young people, with the typical patient鈥檚 age between 25 and 39. So it鈥檚 a good idea to do a self-check in the shower every now and then.

If you go to the doctor with a mass, they鈥檒l feel it and give their assessment.

鈥淭he good thing is that men typically have two testicles so there鈥檚 usually a normal testicle to compare to,鈥� says Dr. Djaladat, who is a professor of clinical urology at the Keck School. 鈥淲e also examine the abdomen and the groin because this cancer typically spreads to lymph nodes.鈥�

They鈥檒l also check the lymph nodes in your chest, give you a blood test, or even a scrotal ultrasound, if needed.

Impotence can prompt cardiovascular disease screeening

If erectile dysfunction happens regularly, it鈥檚 time to see a doctor.

鈥淚f you are over 30 and have erectile dysfunction, we screen for cardiovascular disease because it鈥檚 one of the earliest signs of heart problems,鈥� says Dr. Loh-Doyle, an assistant professor of clinical urology at the Keck School.

He adds that many patients come to him without having another doctor.

If this is you, 喵咪社区 Urology physicians will refer you to a Keck Medicine doctor in internal or family medicine to check your heart health. This integrated care provides an important advantage: keeping everyone involved in the loop.

All three of these doctors agree that the best way to stop being embarrassed or afraid is to just get checked.

You鈥檒l either get professional confirmation that everything is OK, or 鈥� if your results come back concerning 鈥� you鈥檒l at least know that a dangerous disease was caught early, when it鈥檚 easiest to treat.

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