The median age at diagnosis is 72 years and it is rare in men under 50 years of age. The number of prostate cancer cases has risen dramatically in the past 20 years. In Alberta, prostate cancer is responsible for 15 percent of male cancer deaths. There will be an estimated 370 deaths from prostate cancer in 1999 in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Approximately 80 percent of the deaths will occur in men over 70 years of age.
Prostate cancer is diagnosed by examination of prostate gland tissue under a microscope.
The tissue may be obtained by needle biopsies guided by ultrasound imaging. Small prostate cancers rarely cause symptoms, but larger prostate cancers may cause decreased urine flow or even complete urinary obstruction. In this test a physician inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and feels the surface of the prostate. This test can help to identify prostate cancers that are growing on the surface of the prostate adjacent to the rectum, but other early tumors can not be felt. If a lump is felt on the prostate by DRE, further diagnostic tests such as needle biopsy are usually recommended.