The risks of a prostate cancer diagnosis (
incidence) are directly proportional to the energies expended looking for prostate cancer.
Here's 2 facts you need to keep in mind which should temper your worry:
First—even though the word "cancer" is in the name "prostate cancer," the most commonly found type of PC is mild and non-aggressive, and many men don't need treatment at all (either immediately, or in some cases ever). The aggressive cases are considered rare...although not to understate, those rare cases can cause eventual death.
The second fact goes hand-in-hand with the first—the patterns of "weird cells" that pathologists today call "prostate cancer" are largely considered a natural part of aging. Some really interesting autopsy studies have been conducted on
men who died of accidental causes to measure the
prevalence of PC and demonstrate this point. Starting at about
40% of 40-year olds who died accidentally had what would be "diagnosable" PC, and the vast majority never knew it. about
50% of 50-year olds and 60% of 60-year olds had it. 70% of 70-year olds, and so on. Live to 100? There's pretty much 100% chance you've got some form of PC...undoubtedly a very mild form. Again, the main point is that most of these men never knew they had it, and it would never have affected their lives or longevity...if only they hadn't accidentally stepped in front of that Mack truck!
Let those points sink in, and in particular note the important
difference in
prevalence and
incidence...prevalence is the near ubiquitousness of having PC; incidence is being diagnosed with PC.
The purpose of prostate biopsies today isn't to look for the presence of PC (because most men over 50 have it!) so much as it is to look for the rare cases of aggressive PC which might need treatment.
At age 40, a PC needing treatment is considered very rare...but there is already a pretty good chance that he has "it." It is never too early, in my opinion however, to start being aware and understanding the growing likelihood of it's presence so that one doesn't over-react in the likely case it is one day diagnosed in his life.
Understanding these points should help relieve your nervous worry...
Post Edited (NKinney) : 1/8/2018 8:38:05 AM (GMT-7)