June is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
June 7th, 2008 Posted in prostate cancerJune is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and men should become aware of the risks and become informed on the effectiveness of screening.
Prostate cancer is the third leading cancer killer of men in the United States. Nearly 186,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2008 and more than 28,000 men will die from prostate cancer. In order to help understand their risks, men should consider that:
- Two out of three prostate cancers are found in men over the age of 65.
- Men with close family members, such as a father or a brother, who have developed prostate cancer at a young age, are more likely to develop the disease. High levels of male hormones also may play a part in developing prostate cancer.
- Prostate cancer is more common among African-American men and Jamaican men of African descent. The disease occurs more often in Whites than in Asians.
- Studies suggest that a diet high in saturated fat also may be a risk factor.
- Men over the age of 65 who exercise vigorously and on a regular basis have a lower rate of prostate cancer.
Screening tests for prostate cancer include a digital rectal exam (DRE) to check the prostate for lumps and/or a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. These tests can detect early-stage prostate cancer, but the evidence that it improves health outcomes for men is inconclusive.