Prostate Cancer Facts

If you are a man over fifty and have a family history of prostate cancer, this article is just meant for you. It has been found out that during a normal lifespan, a man has about a 1 out of 10 chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. The occurrences of prostate cancer are recorded highest in the USA, with Europe as a close second, while it is least common among the South and East Asian men. In the USA, over 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer are registered every year and the black men make for the highest number of victims of prostate cancer.

In the USA, Prostate cancer is viewed as one of the most dangerous diseases killing thousands of American men every year. But the silver lining of the cloud is that in the recent years the improvement in the survival rate that has been noticed is just striking. Over the past decade, an 67% to 99% improvement in the survival rates has been recorded for all stages of prostate cancer What prostate cancer actually is. Prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system and prostate cancer is a condition in which cells of the prostate start to multiply at an abnormal rate. At certain stage these cancerous prostate cells may spread from the prostate to other parts of the body. The most common destinations are the bones and lymph nodes. This spread is called metastasis. In addition to sharp pain prostate cancer involves such symptoms as difficulty in urinating, erectile dysfunction and other symptoms.

The male hormone, testosterone stimulates the growth of prostate cancer cells which are largely hormone-dependent. The actual cause of prostate cancer is still unknown. But the medical researchers have identified a set of risk factors:
Age: The risk of developing prostate cancer considerably increases with age. Almost 70% of all prostate cancers are detected in men who are over 65 years of age.

Family History: Like other types of cancer, genetic history does play a role in developing prostate cancer. Men with a family history of prostate cancer in father or brother are up to 11 times more likely to get this disease.

Ethnicity: There are certain obvious links between ethnic background and developing of prostate cancer. As for example, African-American men are at nearly 2.4 times higher risk than their Caucasian counterparts.

Diet: Researches revealed that prostate health deteriorates with unhealthy diet.

Obesity: It has been also found out that the death rate from prostate cancer increases in obese men.

If you feel you have any of these risk factors, you must get tested for prostate cancer, as an early detection increases the chances of survival by a considerable level.