Treating you well since 1948 Every year during the month of September we acknowledge Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. It is the month that the Prostate Cancer Foundation celebrates with blue ribbons in an effort to bring awareness to the disease. And despite these efforts, we are always surprised by how little most people really know about prostate cancer detection, treatment and, prevention. With that in mind, here are ten facts about the disease that often shock our patients and their families.
Common – With the exception of skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Worldwide, it is the fourth most common tumor diagnosed.
African Americans at risk – One in five African American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. In fact, if a man is of African descent they are 73 times more likely to have a prostate cancer diagnosis than a Caucasian man and 2.3 times more likely to succumb to the disease.
All men at risk – When considering all men in the United States, one in eight will be diagnosed with the disease. Over 161,000 men will be diagnosed this year alone, with a new case every 3.3 minutes and a prostate cancer death every 20 minutes.
Non-smokers at risk – While smokers are at risk for many types of cancer, non-smokers are more likely to develop prostate cancer than colon, bladder, melanoma, lymphoma and kidney cancers combined.
Age matters – As men get older, the risk of developing prostate cancer increases. 60 percent of cases are discovered in patients over 65 years of age.
Many cases in the US – Right now it is estimated that over 3 million men have prostate cancer in the United States.
Heredity matters – Men who have a family history of prostate cancer are two times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
Treatable – If it is detected early, most men will not experience symptoms from prostate cancer. In addition, it is 100 percent treatable with early diagnosis.
At the Bond Clinic, we have two board certified Urologists. Their goal is early detection to help patients live a high quality, full life. Contact Dr. Kevin Lee or Dr. Claudio Romero to for a prostate cancer screening at 863-293-1191.
