A study of 5,000 men published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute found that high levels of prostate specific antigen don’t indicate prostate cancer. The study revealed that a rise in PSAs could indicate benign prostate issues or urinary tract infections. Doctors often test the PSA levels to determine whether a biopsy is need to diagnose prostate cancer. The concern is that too many me get unnecessary biopsies. High levels of prostate specific antigens can indicate other types of cancer in men.
Prostate cancer along with lung cancer kills thousands of men every year. One fatal type of cancer often contracted by men is mesothelioma. When a person contracts mesothelioma the lining which surrounds the lungs is invaded by cancer cells, making it difficult for patients to breathe. Treatments for mesothelioma can abate the growth of cancer cells but is ultimately fatal. Like other lung cancers mesothelioma is linked to breathing in toxins from the environment.
Asbestos is the toxic material that is a direct cause of mesothelioma, although some contract mesothelioma from other environmental factors, the instances are rare. Asbestos was often used as a building material for most of the twentieth century. Once it was discovered that asbestos caused cancer in people its use was prohibited, but is still present in many homes and commercial buildings. Men who worked in the building and shipping sectors are at great risk for contracting mesothelioma.
