Why prostate cancer should be on your radar

Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. About 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, with the average age at diagnosis being 66 years old. Prostate cancer can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed don’t die from it.

Even so, because the disease is so common, awareness and early diagnosis are both important for long-term survival. While there’s no proven way to prevent prostate cancer, you can reduce your risk of getting it by making healthy choices like choosing a low-fat diet that’s full of fruit, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising most days of the week. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, there are many treatment options – from the wait and see approach (when it’s low-risk), to radiation therapy, to removalof the entire prostate gland (in more aggressive cases). Your age, family history of the disease and other medical conditions can help inform your decision of what to do next.

To learn more, head over to Harvard Men’s Health Watch.