Prostate Cancer

Although every man is susceptible to prostate cancer, some are more at risk than others. Young African-American males have two times more risk of prostate cancer and fatality than Caucasians. Many African-American men are even diagnosed before reaching the age of fifty.

Another high risk group of men are those who have a family history of prostate cancer. This places them in the group of men who are likely to contract the disease before the age of fifty.

The only and best method to estimate your risk of prostate cancer is through diagnostic cancer. And the earlier you go through this screening process, the higher your chance of survival.

Remember, it is imperative that you detect prostate cancer in its early stages for combative purposes. The problem is that there are often no symptoms of prostate cancer in the early stages. Cancer could possibly spread beyond the prostate before you are alerted to any symptoms, such as urinary trouble.

Surviving Prostate Cancer

Your chances of surviving prostate cancer depend upon several factors. First and foremost, early detection is the most important factor. If you are able to get it under control while your prostate cancer is in Stage I or II with a Gleason Score under 7, you will be one of the prime candidates for prostate cancer survival when undergoing treatments such as “watchful waiting,” radiation therapy or surgery.

For men over 70 years old there is a high probability that they will die of natural causes instead of prostate cancer. There is a strong possibility that men with localized Stage I or Stage II prostate cancer will die of something else.

Deciding to undergo a treatment of "watchful waiting" with localized Stage I or II prostate cancer will produce a 19% chance that metastases will develop over the next 10 years of life.

Men with prostate cancer that has reached Stage III will have a 50/50 chance that the cancer will get worse and be fatal over the next 10 years.

Stage IV, named metastatic prostate cancer, has a very high likelihood of death within 10 years. The most common treatment for Stage IV prostate cancer is hormonal therapy, which is used to keep the disease at bay for 2 to 3 years.

DID YOU KNOW?

Healthy weight management should be an important part of every prostate cancer patient's strategy. Eating a balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle will help you keep your weight under control. As a result, consistent exercise and healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, will prevent you from becoming sick, whether it is cancer or just a common cold.