Prostate Cancer In Men Under 30

Clearly, prostate cancer is not just an "old man's" disease. While it probably true that the older you are, the more potential you are to be diagnosed with prostate cancer (65% of cases are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older), the fact remains that 35% of those diagnosed, or over 76,000 each year, are diagnosed at an earlier age or even prostate cancer in men under 30.

There are many risk factors to consider. Your race, family history, physical health and lifestyle—even geographic location—are all factors that can increase your likeliness of developing prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most symptomless cancers in oncology, meaning not all men experience symptoms. A lot of times symptoms can be misidentified or imputed to something else. Signs of prostate cancer are frequently first noticed by a doctor during a routine check-up. Common symptoms consists of the need to urinate frequently, difficultness to start or stop urination, painful or burning urination, weak or interrupted flow of urination, trouble having an erection, blood in the urine or semen, painful ejaculation, or frequent pain and stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs. If you undergo any of these symptoms, make sure you tell your doctor.

The cause of prostate cancer is unknown, but the cancer is thought unrelated to benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The risk (predisposing) factors for prostate cancer include advancing age, genetics (heredity), hormonal influences, and such environmental factors as toxins, chemicals, and industrial products. The chances of developing prostate cancer increase with age. Thus, prostate cancer in men under age 30 is extremely rare, while it is more common in men older than 80 years of age. As a question of fact, some reports have indicated that among men over 80, between 50 to 80 percent of them may have prostate cancer!

There are no specific measures recognized to prevent the development of prostate cancer. Therefore, we can only hope to prevent progression of the prostates cancer by making early diagnoses and then attempting to cure the disease. Early diagnoses can be made by screening men for prostate cancer. Screening can be done by routine yearly digital rectal examinations.