Selected Podcast
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Dr. Donald Hannoun discusses prostate cancer, some of its misconceptions, and when to get a screening.
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Hannoun is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including Intern of the Year and Resident Teacher of the Year from Keck School of Medicine’s departments of General Surgery and Urology, respectively.
Dr. Hannoun is an active member in several professional organizations, including the American Urological Association and the Los Angeles Urological Society. He has presented abstracts for the Proceedings of the Western Section of the American Urological Association and has
written several articles, abstracts and book chapters.
CityofHope.org/donald-hannoun
Donald Hannoun, MD
Donald Hannoun, M.D. attended medical school and completed both an internship and residency at Keck School of Medicine of USC. He also completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and endourology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.Dr. Hannoun is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including Intern of the Year and Resident Teacher of the Year from Keck School of Medicine’s departments of General Surgery and Urology, respectively.
Dr. Hannoun is an active member in several professional organizations, including the American Urological Association and the Los Angeles Urological Society. He has presented abstracts for the Proceedings of the Western Section of the American Urological Association and has
written several articles, abstracts and book chapters.
CityofHope.org/donald-hannoun
Transcription:
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Intro: Progressive, respectful, mentoring, compassionate. These are the values of Palmdale Regional Medical Center. And now, we proudly present Palmdale Regional Radio.
Caitlin Whyte: This is Palmdale Regional Radio. And I'm your host, Caitlin Whyte. Today, we are discussing prostate cancer with Dr. Donald Hannoun. He's a urologist and a member of the medical staff at Palmdale Regional.
Dr. Hannoun, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month. What are some common misconceptions people have about this type of cancer or things you want people to know?
Donald Hannoun, MD: There's a misconception out there that since the majority of prostate cancers are cancers that are not aggressive, that perhaps men should not be screened for prostate cancer. We feel that this could not be further from the truth. The more that men get checked to make sure that everything is okay, that's what we definitely want them to know about prostate cancer.
Caitlin Whyte: With symptoms being so few and far between, how can someone tell that they even need a screening or that they're at risk?
Donald Hannoun, MD: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men over the age of 45. That's because we don't typically count skin cancer in that statistic. All men over the age of 45 should at least be counseled about the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening. And basically, the older you are, the more likely that you are to have it. And we feel that an evaluation to discuss, you know, what prostate cancer is and what tests are done to check for it, that's the bare minimum that all men over the age of 45, they should definitely discuss this with their primary doctor.
Caitlin Whyte: Now, you say men over the age of 45 should be getting screenings, but how often should they be getting them?
Donald Hannoun, MD: That's a great question. Men who are at higher risk, for example, men who have a first-degree relative like a father, a grandfather, a brother with prostate cancer, or African-American men, these two groups of men are at higher risk for prostate cancer compared to the general population. They should definitely be screened on a yearly basis. Men who otherwise are at average or general risk, they can be screened every one to two years for prostate cancer. And that's usually with a combination of a prostate examination as well as a blood test called prostate specific antigen or PSA.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, let's get into risk a bit more. Are there any other risk factors or maybe just some lifestyle changes or steps that people can take to prevent prostate cancer?
Donald Hannoun, MD: There's been a lot of studies to try to find if there's anything specific in the diet or in the lifestyle that increases your risk for prostate cancer. And to date, nothing has been found in diet or nature that seems to increase or decrease your risk for prostate cancer. By far, the most dominant risk factors are, again, getting older, having a first-degree relative with prostate cancer and African-American men are at higher risk for prostate cancer.
Caitlin Whyte: In the event that someone does get this type of cancer, what does treatment look like?
Donald Hannoun, MD: That's a great question. And with prostate cancer, there's a very wide spectrum. Sometimes we find cancers that are so small, so insignificant, so non-aggressive, we actually don't even recommend treatment. We only recommend surveillance where we keep an eye on it. And if it ever changes in the future, then we move on to treatment. If it's more aggressive than that and requires treatment, there are whole gland treatment options, which would include things like radiation and surgery. There are focal therapy options, things like cryotherapy or freezing or high-intensity focused ultrasound, which is using an ultrasound to burn a part of the prostate that has cancer. And thankfully, the rare instance where it's metastatic or it's already spread to other areas, then we do either a combination of the aforementioned with what's called androgen deprivation therapy or hormone therapy, which is a form of systemic treatment.
Caitlin Whyte: Circling back to screenings as we wrap up here, can you go over what kinds of tests there are?
Donald Hannoun, MD: Yeah, the main screening test for prostate cancer include a prostate examination, also known as the digital rectal examination. This is where either a urologist or a primary care doctor will insert a finger through the anus to feel the prostate, to assess for any hard spots or nodules on the prostate. And the other test is a blood test called a PSA, which stands for prostate specific antigen. This is a blood test that checks for a protein that's made by the prostate and, if found to be elevated, may indicate that the early findings of possible prostate care.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, doctor, again, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Anything else you'd like to add before we end here?
Donald Hannoun, MD: Yeah, I would just like to say that this is something that all men should definitely be talking about more, discussing this with their primary doctors, discussing it with their family. You know, there's no shame in talking about it. The only shame I think is not talking about it, not getting it checked, because the last thing that we want is for something to be done when it's too late. The earlier, the better. And that's what we're here for.
Caitlin Whyte: And that concludes another episode of Palmdale Regional Radio with Palmdale Regional Medical Center. Please visit our website at palmdaleregional.com for more information, and to get connected with one of our providers.
Please also remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all of the other Palmdale Regional Medical Center podcasts. And make sure to please share on your social media. And be sure to check out all of the other interesting podcasts in our library. For more health tips and updates, you can follow us on your social channels. Thanks for listening.
Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Palmdale Regional Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Intro: Progressive, respectful, mentoring, compassionate. These are the values of Palmdale Regional Medical Center. And now, we proudly present Palmdale Regional Radio.
Caitlin Whyte: This is Palmdale Regional Radio. And I'm your host, Caitlin Whyte. Today, we are discussing prostate cancer with Dr. Donald Hannoun. He's a urologist and a member of the medical staff at Palmdale Regional.
Dr. Hannoun, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month. What are some common misconceptions people have about this type of cancer or things you want people to know?
Donald Hannoun, MD: There's a misconception out there that since the majority of prostate cancers are cancers that are not aggressive, that perhaps men should not be screened for prostate cancer. We feel that this could not be further from the truth. The more that men get checked to make sure that everything is okay, that's what we definitely want them to know about prostate cancer.
Caitlin Whyte: With symptoms being so few and far between, how can someone tell that they even need a screening or that they're at risk?
Donald Hannoun, MD: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men over the age of 45. That's because we don't typically count skin cancer in that statistic. All men over the age of 45 should at least be counseled about the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening. And basically, the older you are, the more likely that you are to have it. And we feel that an evaluation to discuss, you know, what prostate cancer is and what tests are done to check for it, that's the bare minimum that all men over the age of 45, they should definitely discuss this with their primary doctor.
Caitlin Whyte: Now, you say men over the age of 45 should be getting screenings, but how often should they be getting them?
Donald Hannoun, MD: That's a great question. Men who are at higher risk, for example, men who have a first-degree relative like a father, a grandfather, a brother with prostate cancer, or African-American men, these two groups of men are at higher risk for prostate cancer compared to the general population. They should definitely be screened on a yearly basis. Men who otherwise are at average or general risk, they can be screened every one to two years for prostate cancer. And that's usually with a combination of a prostate examination as well as a blood test called prostate specific antigen or PSA.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, let's get into risk a bit more. Are there any other risk factors or maybe just some lifestyle changes or steps that people can take to prevent prostate cancer?
Donald Hannoun, MD: There's been a lot of studies to try to find if there's anything specific in the diet or in the lifestyle that increases your risk for prostate cancer. And to date, nothing has been found in diet or nature that seems to increase or decrease your risk for prostate cancer. By far, the most dominant risk factors are, again, getting older, having a first-degree relative with prostate cancer and African-American men are at higher risk for prostate cancer.
Caitlin Whyte: In the event that someone does get this type of cancer, what does treatment look like?
Donald Hannoun, MD: That's a great question. And with prostate cancer, there's a very wide spectrum. Sometimes we find cancers that are so small, so insignificant, so non-aggressive, we actually don't even recommend treatment. We only recommend surveillance where we keep an eye on it. And if it ever changes in the future, then we move on to treatment. If it's more aggressive than that and requires treatment, there are whole gland treatment options, which would include things like radiation and surgery. There are focal therapy options, things like cryotherapy or freezing or high-intensity focused ultrasound, which is using an ultrasound to burn a part of the prostate that has cancer. And thankfully, the rare instance where it's metastatic or it's already spread to other areas, then we do either a combination of the aforementioned with what's called androgen deprivation therapy or hormone therapy, which is a form of systemic treatment.
Caitlin Whyte: Circling back to screenings as we wrap up here, can you go over what kinds of tests there are?
Donald Hannoun, MD: Yeah, the main screening test for prostate cancer include a prostate examination, also known as the digital rectal examination. This is where either a urologist or a primary care doctor will insert a finger through the anus to feel the prostate, to assess for any hard spots or nodules on the prostate. And the other test is a blood test called a PSA, which stands for prostate specific antigen. This is a blood test that checks for a protein that's made by the prostate and, if found to be elevated, may indicate that the early findings of possible prostate care.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, doctor, again, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Anything else you'd like to add before we end here?
Donald Hannoun, MD: Yeah, I would just like to say that this is something that all men should definitely be talking about more, discussing this with their primary doctors, discussing it with their family. You know, there's no shame in talking about it. The only shame I think is not talking about it, not getting it checked, because the last thing that we want is for something to be done when it's too late. The earlier, the better. And that's what we're here for.
Caitlin Whyte: And that concludes another episode of Palmdale Regional Radio with Palmdale Regional Medical Center. Please visit our website at palmdaleregional.com for more information, and to get connected with one of our providers.
Please also remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all of the other Palmdale Regional Medical Center podcasts. And make sure to please share on your social media. And be sure to check out all of the other interesting podcasts in our library. For more health tips and updates, you can follow us on your social channels. Thanks for listening.
Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Palmdale Regional Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.