The short answer to this question is to assess your health. This is the starting point for a health check. Would we be in the presence of potential undetected diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer? Sooner or later, a check-up will be necessary, especially depending on your age and/or if physical symptoms persist. In all cases, the check-up makes it possible to identify and quickly take charge of health problems, suspected or not.

Medically reviewed by Marie-Lyssa Lafontaine, medical student, urology axis, University of Montreal, on 11/28/2022

In the case of prostate cancer, the health check is very useful on two levels:

• disease screening
• treatment or post-treatment of hormone therapy

Screening for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is cured quite well, but it is still necessary to do early detection in order to put the odds on your side. The PSA test can detect the disease at an early stage, often in the absence of symptoms, thus preventing many deaths linked to advanced and aggressive cancers.

The health check includes, among other things, a blood test, the results of which will be based on the boxes that your doctor has checked on the form. As prostate cancer screening is a joint decision, you can ask him to check the PSA Test box on this form. You will have at least one result that will serve as a benchmark if you repeat this test.

However, although prostate cancer screening is a decision that must be made jointly between you and your doctor, studies show that it should be discontinued in asymptomatic men aged 70 and over, since there is a very real risk of causing more harm than good in terms of overdiagnosis, overtreatment and false positive PSA test results.

When prescribing hormone therapy

In this case, it would be a good idea to tell your family doctor that you are on hormone treatment so that he can carry out the appropriate health checks. Indeed, it is strongly recommended to carry out a health check-up at the start of treatment followed by periodic health check-ups thereafter. The purpose of these blood tests is to detect early abnormalities in health checks that could be associated with hormone therapy and to treat them. Bring him this information sheet to find out what information is sought.

During your follow-up appointments, in person or by telephone, do not hesitate to ask him how to support you in managing side effects. Helping each other will benefit everyone.

Don’t have a family doctor? Talk to any other healthcare professional (cardiologist, nurse, pharmacist, etc.) and register without delay at the Guichet d’accès à un famille.

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Take the time to visit each of our pages on this website, as well as our YouTube channel, in order to get familiar with the disease with our expert lectures, our section on available resources, the support that is offered to you.

Do you have any questions or concerns? Above all, do not hesitate. Contact us at 1 855 899-2873 to discuss with a nurse specializing in uro-oncology. It’s simple and free, like all our services.

A webinar that might interest you
All About the Effects of Hormone Therapy

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Written by PROCURE. © All rights reserved – 2022