Despite significant progress over the last decade, prostate cancer is still the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the United States. African-American men have the highest rate of incidence for prostate cancer in the world and are more likely to die from the disease than any other ethnic group. However, prostate cancer can be successfully treated and, with certain lifestyle changes, may even be prevented. Early detection, advances in treatment options and education about risk reduction all have contributed to increasing the survival rate of men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), nearly 100 percent of African-American men, diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer, are still alive five years from diagnosis. Of African-American men diagnosed in the late stages of the disease, 29 percent survive five years (not including those who died from causes other than prostate cancer).
Also at high risk for prostate cancer are men with a first-degree relative (father, brother, son), diagnosed at an early age (younger than age 65). Prostate cancer screening can be critical for those at high risk because there are no noticeable symptoms of the disease, while it is still in the early stages. The ACS recommends that men at high risk for prostate cancer should discuss the benefits and limitations of early detection beginning at age 45. Men with several first-degree relatives, who had prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65), should discuss the pros and cons of early screening with their physician beginning at age 40.
More cases of prostate cancer are treated at Northside Hospital than at any other community hospital in Atlanta, with successful outcomes beating the national average. The hospital recently was chosen to join the National Cancer Institute's Community Cancer Centers Program, one of only three hospitals in the southeast to have this designation, which enables the hospital to offer expanded research opportunities and state-of-the-art cancer care, along with the personalized, compassionate care that is typically associated only with a community hospital. Northside leads the way in groundbreaking procedures for better outcomes and less invasive treatments for prostate cancer, offering a wide range of options - from the minimally invasive to the latest advances in surgery.
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