10 Facts about Prostate Cancer
- About 242,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2012. About 28,170 men will die of prostate cancer.
- About 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.
- Your chances of getting prostate cancer are 1 in 3 if you have a close relative with the disease. The risk jumps to 83 percent if two close relatives – father or brothers – have been diagnosed with the disease.
- African-Americans have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world.
- Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of male cancer-related death in the U.S.
- Prostate cancer occurs primarily in older men. Nearly two-thirds of men diagnosed with prostate cancer are 65 or older.
- There are no consistent or noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer while it is still in the early stages.
- Before early detection through PSA screening, only 1 in 4 prostate cancer cases were found while still in the early stages.
- There is new debate about the effectiveness of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening. Consult with your primary care physician about whether you should be screened.
- Nearly 100 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer while the cancer is in early stages are still alive five years after diagnosis.
Sources: American Cancer Society and National Prostate Cancer Coalition.
