Prostate and Ovarian Cancer Awareness: Know Your Risk, Recognize the Signs, and Speak Up
By Rodrico Gordon, DNP-C, AGPCNP-BC, NE-BC
Founder and Clinical Director, Gordon Wellness Service
A prostate and ovarian cancer awareness: Highlighting the importance of knowing your risk.
September is recognized as both Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, making it an important opportunity to discuss two cancers that can significantly affect individuals and families. Although prostate and ovarian cancers involve different organs, they share an important challenge: early disease may cause few, subtle, or no noticeable symptoms.
Understanding personal risk, recognizing changes in your body, and having informed conversations with a healthcare provider can help you make appropriate decisions about your health.
Understanding Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among men in the United States. The prostate is a small gland located below the bladder that contributes to the production of seminal fluid.
Age is one of the strongest risk factors for prostate cancer, with risk increasing considerably as men grow older. Family history and inherited genetic changes can also increase risk. In the United States, Black men experience higher prostate cancer incidence and mortality than men from other racial and ethnic groups, making individualized risk assessment particularly important (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2026; National Cancer Institute [NCI], 2025).
Prostate Cancer May Not Cause Early Symptoms
One reason preventive conversations are important is that early prostate cancer frequently produces no symptoms.
When urinary or other symptoms do occur, they may include difficulty beginning urination, a weak or interrupted urinary stream, increased urinary frequency, blood in the urine or semen, or discomfort. However, these symptoms are not specific to prostate cancer. Benign prostatic hyperplasia, infections, and other noncancerous conditions can produce similar symptoms.
Rather than assuming that a urinary change represents cancer—or assuming that it is harmless—patients should discuss persistent or concerning symptoms with a healthcare professional.
Should You Be Screened for Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer screening is not a one-size-fits-all decision. Screening commonly involves a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. An elevated PSA level does not automatically mean that cancer is present, and screening can sometimes lead to additional testing or identification of cancers that might never have caused significant health problems.
For this reason, major medical organizations emphasize informed or shared decision-making about prostate cancer screening. Age, overall health, family history, race, personal preferences, and other risk factors may influence when—or whether—screening is appropriate (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2018).
The important question is therefore not simply, “Do I need a PSA test?” A better question may be:
“Based on my age, health, family history, and individual risk factors, should we discuss prostate cancer screening?”
Understanding Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is less common than some other cancers affecting women, but it remains an important cause of cancer-related mortality. One of its major challenges is that symptoms may be subtle and can resemble common gastrointestinal, urinary, or gynecologic conditions.
Risk generally increases with age. Family history and certain inherited genetic mutations, including harmful variants involving BRCA1 and BRCA2, can substantially increase risk for ovarian cancer. Lynch syndrome and certain family histories of ovarian, breast, or related cancers can also be important when evaluating an individual's risk (NCI, 2024).
Knowing your family medical history can therefore be an important part of preventive care.
Recognizing Possible Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
Unlike some cancers, ovarian cancer does not currently have a recommended routine screening test for average-risk women who have no symptoms.
That makes awareness of persistent changes particularly important.
Potential symptoms may include:
Persistent bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
Feeling full quickly or difficulty eating
Increased urinary urgency or frequency
Changes in bowel habits
Unexplained changes in abdominal size
These symptoms are common and are frequently caused by conditions other than ovarian cancer. What deserves attention is a symptom that is new, persistent, worsening, or noticeably different from what is normal for you.
Patients experiencing persistent changes should discuss them with a healthcare professional rather than relying on symptoms alone to determine the cause.
Why Isn't Routine Ovarian Cancer Screening Recommended?
It is important to distinguish cancer awareness from cancer screening.
For average-risk, asymptomatic women, the USPSTF recommends against routine screening for ovarian cancer. Studies evaluating approaches such as transvaginal ultrasound and the CA-125 blood test have not demonstrated a reduction in ovarian cancer mortality when used as routine population screening and can produce false-positive results that lead to unnecessary procedures and potential harm (USPSTF, 2018).
CA-125 testing and imaging can still have important roles in evaluating certain patients, particularly when symptoms, examination findings, medical history, or increased genetic risk warrant further investigation. However, they should not be viewed as routine ovarian cancer screening tests for everyone.
Individuals with a strong family history of ovarian or breast cancer, known hereditary cancer syndromes, or other significant risk factors should discuss whether genetic counseling, genetic testing, or specialized risk management may be appropriate.
Family History Matters
Cancer prevention conversations should extend beyond asking whether a parent had a particular cancer.
Family history from both sides of the family can be relevant. Patterns of prostate, ovarian, breast, pancreatic, colorectal, and other cancers may sometimes suggest an inherited cancer susceptibility.
When speaking with your healthcare provider, try to know which relatives developed cancer, what type of cancer they had, and approximately how old they were when diagnosed. This information may help determine whether additional risk assessment or genetic counseling should be considered.
Knowing Your Body Is Part of Preventive Care
Preventive healthcare is more than completing laboratory tests or attending an annual examination. It also involves understanding your baseline health and recognizing meaningful changes.
A new symptom does not necessarily mean cancer. At the same time, persistent symptoms should not automatically be dismissed because they appear minor.
For prostate cancer, this means discussing individual risk and the potential benefits and limitations of screening.
For ovarian cancer, it means understanding that routine population screening is not recommended for average-risk asymptomatic women while remaining attentive to persistent symptoms and hereditary risk factors.
Most importantly, it means being comfortable asking questions and speaking up when something does not feel right.
Take the Next Step for Your Health
Cancer awareness is most valuable when it leads to informed action.
Ask yourself:
Do I know my family's cancer history?
Have I discussed my individual cancer risk with my healthcare provider?
Have I noticed persistent changes in my urinary, pelvic, abdominal, or reproductive health?
Do I understand which screening tests are—or are not—recommended for someone with my risk profile?
Whether you have questions about prostate cancer screening, concerns about persistent urinary or pelvic symptoms, or simply want to better understand your personal and family risk factors, you do not have to navigate those questions alone.
At Gordon Wellness Service, we believe preventive healthcare begins with listening, education, and an individualized approach to your health. We provide comprehensive adult primary and preventive care, including men's health, prostate health and screening discussions, chronic disease management, wellness evaluations, and assessment of new or concerning symptoms.
If you have been putting off a preventive visit, have noticed a change in your body, or are unsure which screenings are appropriate for you, now is a good time to start the conversation.
Schedule Your Visit with Gordon Wellness Service
Take an active role in your health today.
Schedule an appointment with Gordon Wellness Service to discuss your individual risk factors, preventive health needs, symptoms, and recommended screenings.
Gordon Wellness Service
Adult Primary Care • Preventive Health • Men's Health • Wellness Care
Serving patients in New York and New Jersey
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References
American Cancer Society. (2026). Key statistics for prostate cancer. American Cancer Society.
National Cancer Institute. (2024). Ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers prevention (PDQ®)–Patient version. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health.
National Cancer Institute. (2025). Prostate cancer prevention (PDQ®)–Patient version. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2018). Screening for ovarian cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA, 319(6), 588–594. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.21926
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2018). Screening for prostate cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA, 319(18), 1901–1913. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.3710
Medical Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Screening recommendations and individual cancer risk vary. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional about recommendations appropriate for your health history and risk factors.
