Dr. Ed discusses screenings for prostate, colon, testicular cancer

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Prostate, colon, and testicular cancer can advance, sometimes slowly, without noticeable symptoms.

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Ed Dominguez says some of the symptoms of prostate cancer include heaviness around the pelvis and difficulty urinating.

“Prostate cancer frequently can be a very sneaky type of cancer,” Dominguez said. “You may not know you have it at all unless you’re getting screened.”

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be about 333,830 new cases of prostate cancer this year in the United States.

Screening for prostate cancer is recommended between ages 40 to 50, depending on family history.

“Bleeding in the urine should always prompt - both male and female, but in the case of prostate cancer - prompt a male to be seen relatively soon if not immediately to explain why the bleeding is there,” Dominguez said.

A simple blood test can determine risk.

Depending on family history, folks can be screened younger than age 45 for colon cancer, and in certain cases, that may not require a colonoscopy.

“There’s a little pill camera that you can swallow, there’s other types of imaging studies that involve drinking contrast but don’t involve using an endoscope,” Dominguez said. “The most important thing to recognize is that if you really want the answer, if you’re really at higher risk and you want an answer, the colonoscopy is the gold standard test.”

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be fewer than 10,000 cases of testicular cancer diagnosed in the United States this year. Although not as common as colon or prostate cancer, Dominguez said self-examination is key to preventing testicular cancer from getting worse.

“If you notice any lumps, bumps, pain for sure, enlargement that is unexplained, that should be evaluated immediately,” Dominguez said.