Health

9 facts about prostate cancer

ORLANDO, Fla. — June is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Here are nine facts about the disease.

1. According to the National Cancer Society, about one in nine men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. The average age of diagnosis is 66.

June is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. As part of our partnership with AdventHealth, Jorge got to go behind the scenes to learn how physicians in Central Florida are treating patients with new surgical technology.

2. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men. Lung cancer is the first.

Consumer expert Clark Howard was diagnosed with prostate cancer last decade. He decided to make his journey public to raise awareness about the disease. He's has 12 biopsies since 2006. He shared an update on his journey with cancer over Father's Day weekend. You can read his message by clicking here.

3. The Prostate Cancer Foundation says there usually aren't any early warning signs for prostate cancer, which is why doctors encourage men to get screened.

4. The American Cancer Society says there will be nearly 175,000 new cases of prostate cancer in 2019. There will be around 32,000 deaths.

5. The prostate is a small gland located between the bladder and the penis. It is about the size of a walnut. The prostate secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm.

June is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. As part of our partnership with AdventHealth, Jorge got to go behind the scenes to learn how physicians in Central Florida are treating patients with new surgical technology.

6. Common treatments for prostate cancer include radiation therapy to kill the cancer cells, active surveillance of the cancer to monitor it for growth or change and a prostatectomy to remove the prostate and the surrounding wall.

The National Cancer Institute outlines the different types of treatment for prostate cancer. To read more about them, click here.

7. Side effects of prostate surgery can include urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, lymphedema, changes in orgasm, changes to the length of the penis, loss of fertility and an inguinal hernia.

8. The American Cancer Society reports prostate cancer seems to run in some families, which suggests there is a genetic link. A man whose father or brother has the disease is twice as likely to develop it himself, but the odds it develops are higher if the other patient is a brother.

June is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. As part of our partnership with AdventHealth, Jorge got to go behind the scenes to learn how physicians in Central Florida are treating patients with new surgical technology.

9. The exact role a man's diet plays in developing prostate cancer is unclear. Men who eat a lot of red meat and dairy that is high in fat seem to have an increased risk. These men also don't eat many fruits and vegetables. Doctors have not been able to determine which of the factors are directly linked to the cancer.