About 34,000 men will die from prostate cancer this year, and the number is on the rise. Sadly, there's no need for most of those men to die. Simple medical exams and tests could have detected their cancers before they became deadly. Starting at age 40, every man should have an annual digital rectal exam. It's quick, and it's easy.
Blood tests can also offer a valuable warning.
Expense is no excuse for putting off those tests. Each Fall, urologists across the country volunteer for Prostate Cancer Awareness Week. Between September 28 and October 10, you can get a free screening. Let me put it into simple numbers. Without early detection, about two-thirds of prostate cancers are currently beyond cure.