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Prostate cancer occurs in 1 out of 6 men. Reports of diagnosed cases have risen rapidly in recent years and mortality rates are declining, which may be due to increased screening.
According to the American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2007,
prostate cancer is the most common type
of male reproductive cancer .
In the United States, approximately 218,890(2006 estimted cases 234,460) cases
will be diagnosed this year and nearly 27,050(2006 estimted cases 27,350) men die from the disease this year.
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Causes and Risk Factors
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The risk for developing prostate cancer rises significantly with age, and 60% of newly diagnosed cases occur in men over the age of 70. A family history of prostate cancer increases the risk. Other possible risk factors include the following:
* 55 years old and older
* Diet high in saturated fat
* Exposure to heavy metals (e.g., cadmium)
* Race (African American)
* Sedentary lifestyle
* Smoking
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Symptoms
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Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. However there are some sypmtoms and they are listed below:
*frequent urination
* increased urination at night
*difficulty starting and maintaining a steady stream of urine
*blood in the urine, and painful urination
*problems with sexual function
Advanced prostate cancer may cause additional symptoms as the disease spreads to other parts of the body. The most common symptom is bone pain.
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