Knowledge, Early Detection Key to Beating Prostate Cancer
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Over the next 12 months, 186,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fortunately for those men, when detected and treated early, prostate cancer's cure rate is better than 90 percent.
Trusting prostate cancer detection to medical professionals is a good way to go. Screening is often quick and easy, and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) recommends men over the age of 50 get annual screenings. But individuals also bear the responsibility to learn as much as they can about prostate cancer, particularly its risk factors and potential symptoms.
Risk Factors
Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America. One in six men is affected by prostate cancer, and several variables increase a man's risk for prostate cancer.
* Age: While younger men can be diagnosed with prostate cancer, such cases are more an aberration than the norm. The rate of prostate cancer in men ages 40 to 59 is 1 in 38. For men ages 60 to 69, the rate increases to 1 in 15 men. So the older a man gets, the greater his chances for being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Of all the prostate cancer cases in America, 60 percent are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
* Ethnicity: A man's ethnicity can also be a risk factor for prostate cancer. While any man can be diagnosed regardless of his ethnicity, African-American men are 61 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men. What's more, African American men are 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease.
* Family history: A man's family history can also be a risk factor for prostate cancer. For instance, men with a single first-degree relative (father, brother, son) with a history of prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease themselves. Men with two such relatives are four times as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. When those relatives were diagnosed can also increase the risk. If affected family members were diagnosed at a young age, such as before the age of 60, a man's risk of being diagnosed himself increases.
* Additional factors: Recent research has indicated that diet modification can decrease the risk of prostate cancer, suggesting that social and environmental factors like diet and lifestyle can impact a man's likelihood of diagnosis as well.
Symptoms
Part of what makes prostate cancer screenings so essential is that symptoms rarely show themselves in the earlier stages of the disease. That means a screening could be a man's lone means of early detection. However, some men might experience symptoms that indicate the presence of prostate cancer. Those symptoms can include:
* a need to urinate frequently, especially at night
* difficulty starting or stopping urination
* painful or burning urination
* weak or interrupted flow of urine
* difficulty having an erection
* blood in urine or semen
* frequent pain or stiffness in hips, upper thighs or the
lower back
These symptoms can also indicate the presence of other diseases or disorders, so if they persist or appear after a recent prostate cancer screening, consult a physician to rule out other ailments.
To learn more about prostate cancer, visit the PCF Web site at www.prostatecancerfoundation.org.