What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths.
Risk factors:
- Age – your chance of developing prostate cancer increases after age 50
- Race – prostate cancer is seen more commonly in African American men
- Family history – if your father or brother has had prostate cancer you are at increased risk
Signs and symptoms:
Many men who develop prostate cancer never have symptoms, making early detection more difficult.
Screenings:
Prostate cancer screening is performed to detect these small cancers before they can grow to a size that will spread.
Prostate cancer screening tests include the digital rectal exam and prostate specific antigen blood tests, also referred to as a PSA test.
If there is an abnormality on either of the screening tests, follow-up tests may be recommended.
It is not clear if the benefits of screening outweigh the risks of follow-up diagnostic tests and cancer treatments for all people. Because of this the American Urological Association encourages men who are in good health to discuss annual prostate cancer screenings with their doctor starting at age 50, or at age 40 if they’re in a high-risk group, such as black men or those with a father or brother with the disease.
For more information concerning Prostate Cancer, visit the A-Z Library.
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