Letters to the Editor: Early detection is one of the best weapons we have in fighting cancer

To the editor: The fine article in the Los Angeles Times about cancer survival rates improving prompts me to add that early detection is one of the most important ways to treat it (“Cancer survival rates soar nationwide, but L.A. doctors warn cultural and educational barriers leave some behind,” Jan. 14).

In the U.S., more men die every year from cancer than anything except heart disease. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men and the second most deadly. It’s easily detectable, however, beginning with a yearly prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.

I was fortunate to have my prostate cancer detected in 2017 before it was too late to treat and today, I’m cancer-free. I urge every man over the age of 40 to get their PSA blood test yearly and follow their doctor’s advice accordingly.

Doug Weiskopf, Burbank