Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Australians after non-melanoma skin cancer (1)
and the second-leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer.
Prostate cancer is complex - while some tumours grow quickly and prove lethal, others grow slowly and do not cause any harm in a normal lifespan.
Prostate cancer is more common in older men and those with a family history of the disease. If you are concerned about your risk of developing prostate cancer you should talk to your GP.
Tests are available that may help to pick up the disease, however they are not currently shown to be effective for population-based screening. Large international trials are underway to try to determine the effectiveness of the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test.
More information about the early detection of prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening is available in Cancer Council's fact sheet on the early detection of prostate cancer, the position statement on prostate cancer screening and the joint key message statement developed in association with the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council.
If you require further information or would like to talk to someone about prostate cancer, call the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20.
(1) Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer according to general practice and hospitals data, however there is no reporting of cases to cancer registries.