Prostate Cancer Awareness at Saint Joseph Health System
September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, physicians around the world discuss how important it is for men, especially those with key risk factors, to get properly screened. When caught early prostate cancer is one of the most survivable forms of the disease. However, prostate cancer can sometimes be hard to detect and go untreated.
This September, Saint Joseph Health System wants to help spread awareness about this disease, including how to properly get screened. When you're ready, we offer screenings, diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer and other urological conditions
The basics of prostate cancer
Among the many health issues that men will face during the course of their lives, prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent. The condition ranks as the second most common form of cancer in American men (right behind skin cancer). So far in 2023, the American Cancer Society has estimated that just over 288,000 new cases are diagnosed and almost 35,000 men have lost their lives.
The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. About the size of a walnut, it surrounds part of the urethra and produces fluid that makes up part of semen.
Thankfully, because of effective screening options for prostate cancer, the disease is often caught before it spreads. This makes prostate cancer have one of the highest survivability rates. The 5-year relative survival rate for most people with local prostate cancer is nearly 100%. However, this is why screening is so important.