Last year, over 300,000 men were diagnosed with it. Also last year, over 40,000 men died from it. And 3 percent of all men in the United States will eventually die from it. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that is the part of the male reproductive and urinary system that produces some of the fluid in semen. While the gland may be the center of many medical problems, especially for older men, prostate cancer is the most serious.
Prostate cancer is the second deadliest cancer among men.
The deadliest, lung cancer, can be prevented by not smoking. But little can be done to prevent prostate cancer, although maintaining a diet low in fats may help. Prostate cancer often has no symptoms, especially in its early stages. When symptoms do occur they can be confused with urinary problems. Depending on your overall health, your doctor may want you to undergo digital rectal examinations, starting at age 40 for men who have a history of prostate cancer in their family, and age 50 for others.