What about testing?

If you are concerned you may have prostate cancer or want to get tested, there are plenty of hospitals in Wisconsin that provide specialized treatment and screenings.

Columbia-St. Mary’s offers free prostate cancer screenings. In addition, Olson says the hospital provides vans for people without access to transportation. He finds the Milwaukee area especially fortunate to have many exceptional cancer-care centers and believes no one would go untreated because they don’t have access to care.

“A lot of doctors will provide care without insurance and not expect to be paid,” Olson says. “I never ask my patients if they have insurance or what kind. … I think it’s an example of what’s being done in this community.”

How can I take action?

Even after a diagnosis of prostate cancer, it is never too late to become more proactive. Matthews lives his life this way. Once a month, he helps people get medical support and gives speeches about both breast and prostate cancer.

“What I can say is, with the men, I’ve tried to continually encourage men to get their annual physical, keep themselves toned to their own body and get [health problems] taken care of,” he says.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation has a number of ways to get men more involved in fighting prostate cancer. The Foundation sponsors an event in November called Movember, which is a movement aimed to raise money for prostate cancer and depression. Men grow mustaches to raise funds, and after only three years the event has raised about $20 million.

What’s new with prostate cancer?

Researchers in Wisconsin constantly develop new treatments for prostate cancer. Olson says clinical trials are important because that is how progress is made.

According to McNeel, as a result of clinical trials, a vaccine should emerge in the next year to help extend the lives of men with prostate cancer.

“There are a number of oral treatments developing that will help people live longer,” McNeel says. “There’s a lot of hope and a lot of promise I would say.”

Aside from these treatments, men have the option of prostate surgery. A recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows both pros and cons of minimally invasive prostate surgery, leading some to believe it is not necessarily the procedure performed but the skill of the surgeon that is integral to the outcome.

Whatever the chosen treatment, Olson says he thinks Wisconsin men should feel fortunate to be near such high-quality cancer centers. They should also remain aware of these centers, as the number of men afflicted with prostate cancer is expected to increase.

Since men now live to an older age and prostate cancer is a disease of older men, Jarrard expects the number of people with prostate cancer to continue rising.

However, Olson, Jarrard, McNeel and even Matthews are all hopeful men will be more aware and the incidence of prostate cancer will decrease. Olson feels especially strong about cancer prevention, even though his job depends on it.

“I would be the happiest guy in the world if I never have to treat another man for cancer,” he says. “I’d find something else to do.”

For more on Prostate Cancer, click here.