UPDATE: Patient Determined To Beat Prostate Cancer

By Nicole Wiseman and Chris Howell

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men. Doctors will diagnose 180,000 men with prostate cancer this year. The disease will claim 30,000 lives.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Doctors strongly urge every man who is over 45-years-old to get screened once a year.

Doctors say early detection is crucial in fighting and beating prostate cancer.

Mike Qualls from Collinsville knows what it's like to battle prostate cancer. Qualls was diagnosed with the cancer last May. He hasn't let it slow him down and finds a day on the golf course very relaxing.

"If I have a bad round, there's always tomorrow. As long as the last putt goes in, it's a beautiful day," said prostate cancer patient Mike Qualls.

With Mike's positive outlook on life, you'd never guess he was battling cancer.

"Doctor called me and said, ‘well I have good news and bad news for you.' The good news was that it was just the beginning of prostate cancer, but I did have cancer," said Qualls.

Doctors found Mike's cancer early thanks to a simple blood test. A rectal exam is routine as well. Both are standard in finding the cancer, which can be difficult to detect.

"There aren't really any warning signs until it gets really advanced; until it starts to spread to the bones or other parts of the body," said Dr. Doug Kelly, a Radiation Oncologist at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Luckily, Mike's cancer was detected early. He started radiation treatments right away.

"It's a cancer where we have a great cure rate if it's found early, but if you wait until it has spread, it will be too late to cure it," said Dr. Kelly.

Mike's done with treatment for now and is optimistic he'll beat prostate cancer. He'll find out if he has on September 15.

For now, Mike's taking it one day at a time.

"As they say you stop and you smell the roses everyday now," said Mike. "You sit back and you say the little things just don't matter. Everyday is a new day. The sun comes up and it's a great day."

UPDATE: September 18
Mike received good news at his follow-up exam. His PSA score came back normal. Mike's prostate cancer is gone! He will have another check-up in three months. 

Prevention: Doctors say there's no real way of preventing prostate cancer, but living a healthy lifestyle helps. They say to eat lots of natural foods and vegetables and fruits, exercise everyday and take vitamins, such as Vitamin E.

Warning Signs: Doctors say there really aren't any prostate cancer warning signs until the cancer gets advanced and spreads to the bones or other parts of the body. They say that's why a yearly exam is crucial.

Detection: Doctors commonly use two methods for detecting prostate cancer. Digital rectal examination has been used for years as a screening test, but its ability to detect prostate cancer is limited. Tumors often form in areas of the prostate that cannot be reached by a DRE. The prostate-specific antigen measurement is a blood test used by many doctors. PSA is an enzyme measured in the blood that can rise naturally as men age or if prostate abnormalities are present.

Treatment: Three common forms of prostate cancer treatment include surgery, external beam radiation or brachytherapy.

Click on the Featured Video to learn more about prostate cancer!