Recently, I posted an article that announced September is Healthy Aging Month. In this post, I want to specifically address the men and discuss the importance of male health. MEN! September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Men tend to avoid going to the doctor. A new survey highlights the negative attitude many men have about seeking medical care. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they avoid going to the doctor as long as possible, and 37 percent said they withhold information from their doctors. Experts say this is an ongoing issue that keeps doctors from detecting life-threatening issues early, resulting in bigger health dangers and sometimes death.
I make it my business to go with my husband to the doctor. That’s right! I explain to the doctor what I’ve observed regarding his health because I know he’d probably omit pertinent information. I make sure that my husband always has a full medical diagnostic workup regularly, and we attend all follow-ups together.
Unfortunately, medical avoidance and withholding of the truth put men at risk for dangerous health issues like Prostate Cancer. With early detection, most health issues people face can be prevented. Awareness is key.
Each September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month focuses on sharing information about symptoms, treatment, risk factors, prevention, clinical trials, and survivors’ stories. Males are encouraged to take time this month to discuss cancer screenings and other prevention strategies with their healthcare providers. It is recommended that at age 50, all men should have a conversation with their healthcare provider about the benefits of screening. However, Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer should have that conversation at age 45. It should be noted that men should consider genetic testing if they have a family history of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, aside from non-melanoma skin cancer. It was the second leading cause of cancer death in men in 2023, according to the CDC. African American men are more likely to have prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die from it, according to the CDC. Although Prostate Cancer affects men worldwide, Washington, D.C. reports startling numbers on Prostate Cancer. Washington, DC 2024 – Prostate Cancer Facts & Statistics highlighted the following data:
Incidence Rates
- Given 100,000 Washington, D.C. men, 130.5 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
- 390 will be diagnosed this year.
- The city is ranked #8 in the country for prostate cancer incidences.
Mortality Rates
- 27.2 in every 100,000 men will die from prostate cancer in Washington, D.C.
- 70 men in D.C., this year alone (2024).
- The city is ranked #1 in the country for prostate cancer deaths.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has released Prostate Cancer Statistics, 2025, a report on current prostate cancer occurrence and outcomes in the United States. According to the study, prostate cancer incidence rates have reversed from a decline of 6.4% per year during 2007 through 2014 to an increase of 3.0% annually during 2014 through 2021, with the steepest increase (4.6%–4.8% per year) for advanced-stage diagnoses. Simultaneously, mortality declines slowed from 3-4% per year during the 1990s and 2000s to 0.6% per year over the past decade.
These major findings were published by Kratzer et al in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The report also shows wide disparities. Mortality rates for prostate cancer are two times higher for Black men compared to white men.
Early detection is key to giving men a fighting chance against prostate cancer. All men are at risk for prostate cancer, but various factors may increase the risk of being diagnosed with the disease. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)–the advocacy affiliate of the ACS–supports the Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk Insured Men (PSA Screening for HIM) Act, federal legislation that would waive cost-sharing requirements such as deductibles, co-payments, and coinsurance for prostate cancer screening tests for men with the highest risk of prostate cancer.
The PSA test measures the level of PSA in your blood. It is usually the first step in detecting prostate cancer. PSA is a protein produced by prostate cells that keeps semen in liquid form so that sperm can swim. In most cases of prostate cancer, the PSA level increases, which is why the PSA test is used as a screening tool. Click here for Prostate Cancer Early Detection: Age Recommendations and PSA Levels Chart.
Click the link below for more information from the CDC on Prostate Cancer and health tips.
https://www.cdc.gov/prostate-cancer/health-tips/index.html
Live life, live long… live healthy!
Featured image/photo by Ninthgrid on Unsplash.