There are many factors involved in whether or not you will get prostate cancer and, if you are diagnosed, what your prostate cancer survival rates might be. It may not be a pleasant thing to talk about, but here are some facts:
Your age: All men have a risk of prostate cancer. The odds of you getting prostate cancer over your lifetime are one in ten. It is unusual for a man under the age of 60 to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. But, once you reach your 60s, your odds now begin to rise with 70% of all prostate cancer diagnoses in men over the age of 65. Once you reach your 70s you now have a one and three chance for a prostate cancer diagnoses.
Your family history: If prostate cancer runs in your immediate family, your father or brothers, you are 11 times more likely than the average man to develop prostate cancer.
Your Ethnicity: With nearly 2.4 times higher death rates than Caucasian men, African-American men are recommended to get earlier screening.
Your Diet and obesity: As studies show, your diet may affect your chances of developing prostate cancer. The death rates for obese men are increased.
Your prostate cancer survival rate depends greatly on which stage your cancer is diagnosed. There are the four stages:
T1 Stage: Only through a microscope can this stage of cancer be detected. The risks at this stage are very low and may only require careful watching, not treatment. Symptoms of the disease may not be felt at this stage.
T2 Stage: Now the cancer can be felt during a DRE (Digital Rectal Examination). At this stage, the disease is often curable and about 70% of men are still living after 5 years. Symptoms may or may not be felt at this stage.
T3 Stage: At this stage, the cancer is locally advanced and is invading outside the prostate gland. The chance of a cure at this stage is reduced and survival rate is around 5 years. There could be symptoms at this stage, especially in the bladder.
T4 Stage: This is the most advanced stage as the cancer has now spread to the structures around the gland. There are usually secondaries involved like bone metastases. The survival rate is now between 1 and 3 years, as it is usually incurable now.
Your prostate cancer survival rate is very hard to predict. Early diagnosis is key. Other factors are age and overall health of the patient, how quickly your PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is rising and your Gleason score. A Gleason score looks at the cancer under a microscope, checks its aggressiveness and how much of the gland is affected. The good news is that 99% of men survive at least five years after being diagnosed, the 10 year survival rate is 92% and 61% will survive at least 15 years. So get your recommended exams starting at age 50 for the average man and 45 for those with higher risk factors.
For more detailed information on prostate cancer survival rates try visiting http://www.onlineprostatehealthguide.com, a website that provides prostate cancer advice, tips and resources to include information on prostate cancer surgery.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Gorman
http://EzineArticles.com/?Important-Facts-And-Factors-Regarding-Prostate-Cancer-Survival-Rates&id=427040
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