DATELINE (September 1, 2008) – Many people know men who have prostate cancer and men who have lost their battle against this cancer.  Prostate cancer is not uncommon.  In fact, it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men in the United States. 

The Cancer Facts & Figures 2008 of the American Cancer Society reports that 186,320 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 28,660 men will die from this cancer in 2008 in the United States.  In 2008, Maryland is expected to have 3,420 men who will develop prostate cancer and 550 men who will die from it.

The major risk factors for prostate cancer are age, family history, and race.   Men over the age of 50, African American men, men of African descent, and men with a father, brother, or son with prostate cancer are at greater risk for prostate cancer.   The African-American men are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage of prostate cancer and are twice more likely to die from it than white men, according to the American Cancer Society.

According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms for prostate cancer may include: blood in the urine; the need to urinate frequently, especially at night; weak or interrupted urine flow; pain or burning feeling while urinating; the inability to urinate; and constant pain in the lower back, pelvis, or upper thighs.  Men should consult with their health care provider if any of these symptoms occur.

 The Harford County Health Department’s, Office of Cancer Prevention Services, is educating men about prostate cancer and encouraging them to learn as much they can about their personal risks for prostate cancer.  Men should talk to their health care provider about options for screening and potential benefits and complications of diagnosis and treatment in order to make an informed decision about their health. 

For more information about prostate cancer, call the Harford County Health Department’s Office of Cancer Prevention Services at (410) 612-1780.  You may also want to call the 24-hour line of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Information Specialist at 1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345).