Access to information pertaining to just about any topic is now never more than a quick smartphone search away. That’s made information more readily available, but it’s also led some to believe there’s simply too much data to process at times.
It’s undeniable that many things are now around to compete for individuals’ attention, and it’s no small task to determine what does and doesn’t merit consideration. Health-conscious adults recognize the importance of staying on top of health-related issues, and that may involve educating oneself about certain diseases with the hope of understanding and reducing individual risk.
For men, recognition of some important facts about prostate cancer can help them better understand a disease that the World Cancer Research Fund International reports is the second most commonly occurring cancer in men.
• The Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Foundation report that one in eight men in the United States and Canada will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime.
• Men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than they are melanoma and cancers of the colon, kidney and stomach combined.
• The PCF estimates that more than three million men in the U.S. are currently living with prostate cancer.
• The CCS estimates that 67 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every day.
• The risk for prostate cancer increases considerably as men age. According to the PCF, roughly 60 percent of prostate cancer cases are found in men over the age of 65.
• Men who have a father, brother or son who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer could be twice as likely to develop the disease as those without such a connection.
• The CCS reports the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer among men in Canada was 91 percent in 2022. By contrast, the five-year survival rate for all cancers in the same year was 62 percent. The American Cancer Society reports that the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer in the U.S. was 97 percent between 2012 and 2018.
• The PCF notes that prostate cancer often produces no symptoms, which underscores the significance of prostate cancer examinations. The ACS reports that the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is used mainly to screen for prostate cancer in men without symptoms. Men are urged to speak with their physicians about testing for the disease, even if they are symptom-free. The ACS indicates such a discussion for men who are at average risk for the disease should occur at age 50, while the MD Anderson Cancer recommends men open a dialogue with their physicians beginning at age 40.
Prostate cancer is a common yet treatable disease. Men are urged to educate themselves about prostate cancer and discuss prevention with their physicians.
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