This year, an estimated 174,650 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 31,000 will die from the disease, according to the latest statistics from the American Cancer Society (ACS). Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The ACS estimates that 1 man in 9 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.
Who is most at risk for prostate cancer?
- Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men and in African-American men.
- Those with the highest risk of developing the deadly disease are African-American men, who are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as Caucasian men.
- About 6 cases in 10 are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older, and it is rare in men under 40. The average age at diagnosis is about 66.
- The ACS statistics also show the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50 and that more than half of prostate cancer cases are found in men older than 65.
- The major risk factors for developing prostate cancer include having a father or brother with prostate cancer and/or an unhealthy diet. In fact, studies indicate that men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products appear to have a slightly higher chance of developing prostate cancer.
Early detection is key to survival
- According to Richard S Hudes, MD, Chief of Radiation Oncology at Saint Agnes Hospital Cancer Institute, the key to surviving prostate cancer is early detection. Prostate cancer can often be found early by testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in a man’s blood. Another way to find prostate cancer early is the digital rectal exam. Using these screening tools means that the disease likely will be detected an earlier, more treatable stage than if no screening were done.
- Dr. Hudes says even if screening detects prostate cancer, some prostate cancers grow so slowly they never cause problems. Some men may be diagnosed with a prostate cancer as a result of elevated PSA levels would have never even known they had the disease and it would not have led to death, or even caused any symptoms.
This is why the American Cancer Society recommends that men thinking about getting screened talk with doctor and review available information on prostate cancer screenings.
