09/19/2025
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer) diagnosed in men in the United States. Furthermore, it’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, after lung cancer, in the United States.
The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder and in front of the re**um. It’s about the size of a walnut and surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). The prostate gland produces fluid that makes up part of semen.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas. These cancers begin in cells that make and release mucus and other fluids. Prostate cancer often has no early symptoms. While advanced prostate cancer can cause men to urinate more often or have a weaker flow of urine, these symptoms can also result from benign prostate conditions.
screening and incidence
Screening options for prostate cancer, which include a digital re**al exam and a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), often catch the disease before it spreads. As a result, the five-year survival rate is 97.9%..
According to SEER, prostate cancer is more common in older men, men with a family history of prostate cancer, and in men of African American descent. Other risk factors for prostate cancer include certain hormones, vitamin E, folic acid, and a high intake of dairy and calcium. In the United States, about 12.9% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetimes.
Black men have the highest death rate for prostate cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Statistics show that in 2018-2022, Black men were about twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men. Scientists believe the disparity stems from both genetic and socioeconomic factors.