It’s not something any man wants to think about, yet it is vital that all men do. Prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer in the list of cancer deaths among men and one in seven men will be diagnosed with it during their lifetimes. The need for vital cancer care to address this issue is growing. Over 220,000 men will have been diagnosed with the disease during 2015 and there are currently more than two million prostate cancer survivors in the US.

Men with two or more relatives who have had prostate cancer are more at risk for developing it; some studies say they are four times as likely to be diagnosed. It is rarely seen before the age of 40 and most (six in 10) men who develop it are over 65.

Prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer meaning that survival rates are good. Early diagnosis combined with getting the treatment they need at oncology facilities that provide vital cancer care mean that more men survive prostate cancer; in fact, early detection at local and regional facilities — which accounts for 90% of all prostate cancers — has resulted in a very high cure rate, almost 100%, for prostate cancer. More than 60% of cancer survivors were diagnosed more than five years ago.

Since a number of studies have linked prostate cancer with other colorectal cancers, men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer should take special care. After turning 50 both men and women, especially those with added risk factors for developing colorectal cancers, should ensure that they are tested with, for example, colonoscopies at a cancer center. Regular check-ups are key to staying ahead of the game and ensuring that diagnosis is done as early as possible, since prostate cancer is usually symptomless in the beginning stages.