Each year approximately 20000 Australian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and over 3300 men die from a direct result of prostate cancer each year. This equates to 55 men being diagnosed with prostate cancer and 9 men dying from prostate cancer each day. It is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer death.
In 2008, prostate cancer was an underlying cause of death for more men than breast cancer was for women (accounting for 3,031 deaths or 4.1% of male deaths compared with 2,774, or 3.9% of female deaths).
Approximately 1 in 9 Australian men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime.
Younger men have less risk of having prostate cancer than older men but if they are diagnosed with prostate cancer they have a higher chance of dying from the disease. The chance of having prostate cancer at a specific age is as follows:
| The chance of having prostate cancer at a specific age | |
|---|---|
| For a man in his 40’s | 1 in 1000 |
| For a man in his 50’s | 12 in a 1000 |
| For a man in his 60’s | 45 in a 1000 |
| For a man in his 70’s | 79 in a 1000 |
Family history is the most important risk factor for developing prostate cancer. If one first degree relative has prostate cancer then the risk of developing prostate cancer increases to 20%. If two first degree relatives have prostate cancer this risk increases to 40% and if three first degree relatives have prostate cancer then the risk increases significantly and approaches 100%.
An individual’s risk of prostate cancer is based on their age, race, family history, PSA result and DRE findings.
