Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Prostate cancer is highlighted in September.It is so prevalent,the numbers speak.In the U.S.,192,000 new cases will occur this year,and 27,000 men will die from it.One in six men will contract the disease in their lifetime;one in 35 will die of it.Of those who get it,63% are over 65.If men live to 60,6-7% of them will develop prostate cancer by the time they are 70.Those who contract the illness before age 65 are more likely to die from it.In older men,it grows so slowly,they will probably die of something else.
Obesity and heredity are factors in prostate cancer's occurrence.African American men are especially prone to it.Screening for prostate cancer consists of the PSA blood test,and possibly a digital rectal exam,or DRE.Ultrasound and biopsy are used to diagnose this cancer if the initial screening is positive.Treatments range from surgery to radiation to hormone therapy.Some choose not to treat it at all,but undergo a regimen of regular testing instead,to make sure it isn't getting out of hand.The treatments are less burdensome than they used to be,although considerable discomfort may be expected.