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Prostate Cancer Fact Sheet (PDF)

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This one-page document summarizes basic facts about prostate cancer, including mortality rates, national statistics, survivorship, testing, and more.

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Prostate Cancer Fact Sheet

National Numbers

  • More than 3.3 million men are living with prostate cancer in the U.S.
  • 299,010 American men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year and 35,250 are expected to die from the disease.

Mortality

  • Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men.
  • Every 15 minutes another American man dies from prostate cancer.

Diagnosis

  • 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime.

  • That number increases to 1 in 6 for Black/African American men.

  • Several factors are thought to increase a person’s risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, including age, African ancestry, and family history of cancer.

Health Equity

  • Black/African American men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than White men.

  • Black/African American men are 2.1 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than White men.

  • Black men in the U.S. and Caribbean have the highest prostate cancer incidence rates in the world.

Veterans

  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among U.S. Veterans.

  • 1 in 5 military personnel are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Survival Rates

  • The relative 5-year survival rate for prostate cancer diagnosed in its earliest stages is nearly 100%. The survival rate for advanced disease drops to 34%.

Genetics

  • Genetic factors may play a role in a prostate cancer diagnosis. A BRCA gene mutation, most commonly known in breast cancer, has also been linked to prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.

  • Genetic, or hereditary, prostate cancer is thought to make up approximately 10% of all prostate cancer diagnoses.

Screening

  • Screening for prostate cancer is quick and easy and is done with a simple blood test, and possibly a physical exam:
    • A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test measures the amount of PSA in the blood.
    • A DRE (digital rectal exam) is a physical exam performed by a healthcare provider using a gloved, lubricated finger to feel the prostate for abnormalities.

Testing

  • If the results of a PSA blood test or a DRE come back abnormal, the healthcare provider may recommend a biopsy. The only way to confirm prostate cancer is with a biopsy.

Prevention

  • Exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a heart-healthy diet can help reduce the risk of a prostate cancer diagnosis.
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