Prostate Tests Less Likely For Single Men

Married Men More Likely to Get Early Screening of the Cancer

Dec 12, 2008

A married man is much more likely to get tested for cancer of the prostate, and, therefore, is more likely to get early treatment of the deadly diseases.

Married men and men living with a significant other are more prone to get early screening for prostate cancer, a new study says.

The study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, found that even men with a family history of prostate cancer were 40 percent less likely to be screened if they lived alone compared to those who were married or shared a home with a significant other.

“In terms of motivating people to get screened, there may be benefit in targeting wives or significant others as well as men,” lead author Lauren P. Wallner, a graduate research associate at the University of Michigan, said in an American Association for Cancer Research news release.

Second Leading Cause of Death Among U.S. Men

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among U.S. men in the United States; however, five-year survival rates greatly improve with early detection.

For the study, about 2,500 white Minnesota men, age 40 to 79, filled out questionnaires about prostate cancer history and concerns. Those with a family history of the disease were 50 percent more likely to be screened than those without, while men who said they were worried about prostate cancer were nearly twice as likely to be tested.

Wallner said further studies should examine whether this effect is consistent in non-Caucasian populations.

What is the Prostate?

The prostate is a gland found only in men, just below the bladder and in front of the rectum and is about the size of a walnut. The tube that carries urine (the urethra) runs through the prostate which contains cells that make some of the semen that protects and nourishes sperm.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer typically does not cause symptoms in its early stages and nearly 70% of men who are older than 80 who have prostate cancer have no symptoms.

According to the American Cancer Society, some of the symptoms of prostate cancer include:

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