Prostate cancer is the ninth most common cancer worldwide, but is the number one non-skin cancer among American men. It seems that this type of cancer affected 18% of United States men and led to death of 3% in 2005 only.

According to the estimates of the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 186,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the end of this year. Over 90% of prostate cancers are spotted when it is still confined to the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system, or has extended to close parts of the body within the pelvis. Thanks to Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening tests, prostate cancers may be detected in earlier stages, when there are more chances to be treated and cured.

In developed countries, rates of prostate cancer are higher and prognosis poorer than in other parts of the world. This is because in the developed countries factors that contribute to the development of prostate cancer are more widespread. A longer life expectancy and diets rich in red meat and dairy products count among such factors.

There are two types of prostate cancer: aggressive and non-aggressive, which are frequently called tiger and pussycat. Usually, men with pussycat cancer can have a healthy life, but those with tiger cancer (who make up 1/3 of total cases) regularly don’t live more than a year and a half.

As the ACS advised, men should get tested annually for prostate cancer with PSA and digital rectal examination (DRE) once they reach the age of 50. But testing is recommended to men at high risk starting the age of 45. Men at high risk are considered the African-Americans and those whose relatives have had prostate cancer. About two-thirds of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men age 65 or more.

The test is necessary because men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer typically don’t present symptoms of the disease, and their cancer can be detected by the PSA and DRE methods. More advanced forms of prostate cancer may have as symptoms alterations in urinary habits, bone pain, as well as blood in the urine.

Physicians can detect prostate cancer by measuring the level of PSA in the blood stream. PSA is a protein that is produced by the cells of the prostate gland. Nearly all men have the level of this protein below 4 ng/ml. An amount of PSA above this level suggests the person may have prostate cancer. A speedy increase in PSA may also be a sign of the disease. This type of cancer can also be found by means of DRE, which is made by a doctor who inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the man’s rectum in order to feel for lumps, enlargements or hard areas that might hint at the presence of prostate cancer.

However, although these tests are used worldwide and doctors and patients trust their effectiveness, neither the DRE nor the PSA are 100% accurate in revealing the presence of prostate cancer. The only way to be certain is to get a prostate cancer biopsy – a test that implies the removal of tiny samples of the prostate tissue so as to be observed through a microscope.