Steps to help reduce the risk of prostate cancer

Dr. Gary Grosel (Photo provided/ September is Prostate Health Awareness Month, providing an opportune time for men to consider their prostate health and take steps to help reduce the likelihood of developing prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer (after skin cancer) among American men.& Most cases are slow-growing or don’t grow at all, which is why 96% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer are alive five years after their diagnosis. However, African American men have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer — about one in six, compared to one in eight for white men. Genetic, dietary and environmental factors may play roles in making prostate cancer more likely for African Americans. More alarming, African American men are twice as likely to die from the disease, compared with white men.& Black men also tend to develop a more aggressive form of the disease and get it at a younger age.& They also tend to be diagnosed at later stages of the disease, often because of more limited access to health care and preventive screenings. Recognize risk factors Some factors put certain men at higher risk. For example, about 60% of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed after...