Prostate Cancer Detection and Who is at Risk

This year, an estimated 164,690 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 29,000 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. The ACS statistics show that the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. More than half of the cases are found in men older than 65. Those the highest risk are African-American men, who are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as white men. The major risk factors for developing prostate cancer include having a father or brother with prostate cancer and diet. Studies indicate that men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products appear to have a slightly higher chance of getting prostate cancer.

"The key to surviving prostate cancer is early detection, " according to Dr. Michael Kraut, medical director of the Ascension Providence Cancer Institute. 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. Kraut says even if screening detects prostate cancer, some prostate cancers grow so slowly they never cause problems. Some men diagnosed with a prostate cancer as a result of elevated PSA levels would never have even known they had the disease, and would not have died from it, or even experienced any symptoms from it.

This is why the American Cancer Society recommends that men thinking about getting screened talk with their doctor to go over available information on the possible benefits, risks, and limits of prostate cancer screening.

For more information about prostate cancer, call Ascension Providence Hospital 1-866-501-3627.