Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in almost all race/ethnic groups in Ohio. Prostate cancer can occur at any age, but it becomes more common as men grow older. From 1996 to 1999, 26 percent, or an annual average of 6,943 new cancer diagnoses, and 11 percent, or an annual average of 1,457 cancer deaths in Ohio men, were due to prostate cancer

Risk Factors

• Age (more than 75 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over 65)
• Race (death rates for African-American men are two times higher than for white men; the disease is common in North America and Northwestern Europe and is rare in Asia, Africa, and South America)
• Family history (5 to 10 percent of prostate cancers may be inherited)
• A high-fat diet
   

Prevention and Early Detection

Age is the main risk for prostate cancer, and early detection increases survival and treatment options. As with breast cancer, the survival rate for prostate cancer is quite high especially when diagnosed early. All men 50 years and older should talk to their doctors about having annual Digital Rectal Exams (DRE) and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests to help find prostate cancer early. Men should discuss an abnormal DRE or PSA with their doctors, especially since it is not clear if all men need to be treated immediately for prostate cancer.

Very little is known about the causes of prostate cancer. Large international differences in prostate cancer risk indicate that lifestyle factors such as diet may be involved, and it is likely that diet interacts with hormonal status in complex ways.

Last Updated: 10/24/02

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