Prostate cancer is a common condition in older men. Khanh Bao Nguyen, M.D., is a family medicine specialist who offers prostate cancer screening and treats patients with prostate cancer at Doctor’s Medical Group in Garden Grove, California.
The prostate gland lies just below the bladder and in front of the rectum; the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder through the penis) runs through the prostate gland. The prostate gland produces fluid that is part of semen. Adenocarcinomas — cancers that begin in cells that make mucus and other fluids — are the most common type of prostate cancer. Most prostate cancers are relatively slow-growing.
Increasing age is the most common risk factor for prostate cancer. The condition is more common in African-American men than whites (and African-American men are more likely to die from the disease). Genetics may play a part, as it tends to run in families, and some inherited gene conditions seem to increase the risk. Many men have no symptoms even when cancer has become quite advanced; the most common symptom is difficulty in urination or an inability to empty the bladder.
Physicians use two screening methods for prostate cancer. The first is an examination of the prostate through the wall of the rectum (digital rectal exam or DRE). The physician inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel for lumps, hardness, or other abnormalities. The second is a blood test that measures the prostate specific antigen (PSA), a substance made by the prostate. If men have cancer, the PSA is usually elevated. However, PSA levels can be affected by other factors. A biopsy can also detect cancer cells.
There are numerous options for treating prostate cancer; treatment depends on a number of factors such as the patient’s age, the kind of cancer and how far the disease has progressed. In older patients with slow-growing prostate cancer, watchful waiting may be the best choice, as the disease progresses so slowly that it is less likely to cause death than other chronic conditions like heart disease. For aggressive tumors or in younger men, surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy may be used.
At Doctor's Medical Group, we accept most insurance plans. Here is a short-list of just some of the most popular plans we accept. Please contact our office if you do not see your insurance provider listed here.
"I've had the pleasure of having Doctor Khanh Nguyen as my PCP for over a year now & have seen him enough times to know I am in great hands."
