Prostate Cancer Risk Trebles; 1 in 7 Diagnosed

Although rates are down for other types of cancers, it seems that prostate cancer is not among them. Prostate cancer rates are set to treble since 1990 as more men are tested for the disease and live to an older age. In fact, boys born in 2015 will be almost three times more likely to be diagnosed with the cancer during their lives than those born in 1990.

A new report released by Cancer Research UK showed the updated figures for prostate cancer rates. The lifetime risk of prostate cancer has officially jumped from 5 percent to just over 14 percent in the UK. Although these rates may be troubling, they may not be a deadly as they appear. Testing for prostate cancer is much more widespread, which could be the reason why the figures are higher. In addition, deaths due to the disease are falling; in the last 20 years, they have dropped by 18 percent.

The Prostate Specific Antigen Test (PSA) measures blood levels of prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by cells in the prostate gland. Those with prostate cancer tend to have higher levels of blood PSA, and the test is used to diagnose a wide range of prostate cancers, including those that will never be life-threatening. Unfortunately, the test can't tell the difference between a non-threatening cancer and a more aggressive kind.

Around 41,000 men in the UK are given the diagnosis each year, compared with 15,000 just a quarter of a century ago. Men are also being tested younger, which gives doctors the chance to catch the disease earlier.

Most recently, a range of new hormone treatments have been developed that can help prolong life for men with prostate cancer. While more men may be diagnosed, more men are living longer.