Prostate Cancer Statistics to be Aware of

With Prostate Cancer Awareness Month coming up, our healthcare providers at Abraham Family Medicine thought now would be a great time to discuss this common health condition for men. The threat of prostate cancer is not something men can take lightly, especially as they age and their risk of developing this condition increases. In order to promote awareness and prevention of prostate cancer, our healthcare experts wanted to provide some statistics to help our patients fully understand the threat that this illness can pose.

• Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer for men in the US.
• The American Cancer Society estimates that over 191,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2020.
• They also estimate that over 33,000 men will die from complications related to prostate cancer.
• Roughly 1 in every 9 men in the US will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.
• About 60% of all diagnosed prostate cancer cases are age 65 or older and the average age at the time of diagnosis is 66.
• Although it is one of the leading causes of death for men in the US, the survival rate for men with prostate cancer is very high relative to other forms of cancer, largely due to how slow-spreading prostate cancer is.
• Over 90% of prostate cancers are detected when the disease is still only found in the prostate and nearby organs.
• In these cases where the cancer is detected before it has the chance to spread, the 5-year survival rate is nearly 100%.
• There are currently over 3 million prostate cancer survivors in the US today.
• The rates at which new prostate cancer cases have been diagnosed in the US has consistently dropped over the past 20 years.

The best way for men to fight prostate cancer is to see their healthcare provider for an annual prostate exam. Here in our office, this begins by performing a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which checks the blood for proteins that are a leading indicator of prostate cancer. We will then move on to other testing if necessary. For more information or if you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Abraham Family Medicine today. We offer a wide variety of general healthcare services for people of all ages at our Snellville office, located very close to Grayson, Dacula, and Lilburn.