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Prevalence of prostate cancer increases with age >70. Of confirmed cases ~2/3 are low grade, require only "active surveillance". Around 20% are intermediate gra
by jrapdx3 5y ago
Prevalence of prostate cancer increases with age >70. Of confirmed cases ~2/3 are low grade, require only "active surveillance". Around 20% are intermediate grade tumors and ~10% are high-grade, aggressive cancer. The basic screening tool is the high-specificity PSA lab test, with biopsy considered the definitive diagnostic procedure.
Except for the highly malignant variety prostate cancer is generally an "indolent" tumor, that is slow-growing. So in the majority of cases chances are good that the patient would die of something else before the tumor becomes the cause of death. However prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in men. In the US ~30k/yr men die of prostate cancer, so it's not a trivial condition.