Strategies to get your loved one checked for prostate cancer

Whether he's a brother, husband, son or dad, starting at the age of 40, men should be screened for prostate cancer. If you're the one trying to figure out how to get him to the doctor's office, here are some suggestions:

Creative discussion.
If you talk about getting checked for prostate cancer, some men may first think of the DRE -- the dreaded digital rectal exam. They may tune you out. Instead, talk about the PSA -- how it is just a small vial of blood from a vein in the arm. "If the way you talk about something isn't working, try something else," said Jan Manarite, educational facilitator for the Prostate Cancer Research Institute and wife of a prostate cancer patient. "Starting thinking in a more creative way," she said.

Hand it off to someone else.
Have someone else be the messenger if your words aren't getting through. "I really think other men can be more encouraging to get a man screened for pc," said Jo Ann Hardy, a wife of a prostate cancer survivor from Detroit. For many men, especially in the African- American community, as she and her husband are, it may be difficult to talk about, she said. "Another male can let them know it's OK to be checked," said Hardy, who is also an UsToo board member. Ask an uncle, jogging buddy or neighbor to mention it if you know they have experience with the subject.

Disguise it.
If the guy in your life is going for an annual physical, and getting his cholesterol level checked, ask him to ask his doctor to include the PSA. Use the words "just a screening" or "getting a baseline," said Manarite. Use the word cancer sparingly.

Get tested regularly.
When a man gets a PSA test, he may be satisfied hearing the results are normal, or not hearing back at all, said Manarite from the PCRI. "Tell him to get a copy of (the lab results), not just the verbal. Put it in a folder. It's not just one number, but the pattern over time," she said.

Darryl Mitteldorf, LCSW with MaleCare.org, a prostate cancer support and education group, agrees. "We must remain vigilant about our own health," he said, including keeping up on the details of our healthcare. "We may maintain our health, but we also need to keep records of it," he said.