Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. But each man’s risk of prostate cancer can vary, based on his age, race/ethnicity, and other factors.
For some types of cancer, including prostate cancer, screenings can help find cancers at an early stage, when they are likely to be treated easier. The main benefit of screening is that if prostate cancer is found as a result, it’s likely to be at an earlier stage than if no screening were done.
OSF Moeller Cancer Center (2200 Central Ave, Alton, IL, 62002) will be hosting a FREE prostate cancer screening event on Monday, June 9, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
This screening event is “first come, first serve.” Individuals will be seen in order of arrival. The last person to be seen will be checked in no later than 4:00 PM.
For more information, interested individuals can call:
- Karen Boyd at 618-433-7609 or email Karen.K.Boyd@osfhealthcare.org
- Jessica Williams at 618-433-7610 or email Jessica.R.Williams@osfhealthcare.org
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for prostate cancer in the United States for 2025 are:
- About 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer
- About 35,770 deaths from prostate cancer
The number of prostate cancers diagnosed each year declined sharply from 2007 to 2014, coinciding with fewer men being screened because of changes in screening recommendations. Since 2014, however, the incidence rate has increased by 3% per year.
For example, prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men. About 6 in 10 prostate cancers are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older, and it is rare in men under 40. The average age of men when they are first diagnosed is about 67.
Prostate cancer risk is also higher in African American men and in Caribbean men of African ancestry than in men of other races.
Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 in 44 men will die of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. In fact, more than 3.5 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today.
The prostate cancer death rate declined by about half from 1993 to 2022, most likely due to earlier detection and advances in treatment. In recent years, the decline in the death rate has slowed, likely reflecting the rise in cancers being found at an advanced stage.
Any man, or person born with a prostate, is at risk for developing prostate cancer, but there are factors that can increase your risk. Understanding how these factors apply to you might help you make decisions about screening for prostate cancer.
A risk factor is anything that raises your chances of getting a disease such as cancer.
Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t be changed.
But having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. Many people with one or more risk factors never get cancer, while others who get cancer may have had few or no known risk factors.
Researchers have found some factors that can affect prostate cancer risk.
Prostate cancer is rare in men younger than 40, but the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. About 6 in 10 prostate cancers are found in men older than 65.
Prostate cancer seems to run in some families, which suggests that in some cases there may be an inherited or genetic factor. Still, most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history of it.
Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing this disease. (The risk is higher for men who have a brother with the disease than for those who have a father with it.) The risk is much higher for men with several affected relatives, particularly if their relatives were young when the cancer was found.
More information detailing the nationally recognized oncology services at OSF Moeller Cancer Center can be obtained by visiting www.osfsaintanthonys.org.