Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month brings together healthcare professionals, community organizations, and health advocates to raise awareness about prostate cancer. According to statistics, this disease mainly affects men over 50. Every year, nearly 175,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and almost 32,000 die from it.

History

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer, surpassed only by skin cancer. The first operation to remove the prostate was performed by Hugh Hampton Young at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1904. Since then, specialists have developed new treatment methods, including injecting radium into the prostate and employing various surgical techniques. In 1962, megavolt radiation therapy was introduced. These techniques have primarily benefited patients whose cancer cells were confined to the prostate gland. In 1966, a special grading system was proposed to help doctors determine the risk level of prostate cancer as low, intermediate, or high.

Modern medicine employs a combination of radiation therapy and hormone therapy to treat the disease. At the beginning of the 21st century, the first robotic surgery to remove the affected organ was successfully performed. In 2010, the first anti-cancer vaccine was officially approved, significantly increasing the survival rate for men with prostate cancer.

Useful Facts

• According to statistics, one in eight American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
• Ethnicity plays a role—the disease is more prevalent among African Americans, with one in six being diagnosed.
• The older a man is, the higher the likelihood of developing the disease. Statistics show that 6 out of 10 patients are older than 65.
• The disease is hereditary—if close relatives have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your own risk is significantly higher.
• In terms of prevalence, prostate cancer surpasses colon, kidney, stomach cancer, and melanoma.

How to Observe Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Educate yourself and others—the more people know about the disease, the better they can recognize symptoms and seek treatment early. Raise awareness by discussing prostate cancer on social media and explaining how to protect against and help manage the disease. Become a volunteer to support those diagnosed with prostate cancer, or make a donation to support research into effective treatments.

When is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in 2024?

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is observed annually on September 1.

Observations