Prostate cancer among young up six times in 20 years

Typically, prostate cancer occurs more frequently as men age into their 70s or 80s, but a US-based analysis has found that the number of younger men diagnosed with prostate cancer has increased nearly six-fold in the last 20 years. And the disease is more likely to be aggressive in these younger men, the study said. 'Early onset prostate cancer tends to be aggressive, striking down men in the prime of their life,' said Kathleen A. Cooney, professor of internal medicine and urology at University of Michigan in the US. (Read: Do you know these 5 simple ways to prevent prostate cancer?)

These fast-growing tumours in young men might be entirely missed by screening because the timeframe is short before they start to show clinical symptoms, Cooney said. Men with a family history of prostate cancer have a two- to three-times greater chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. That risk increases for young men with multiple affected relatives. The researchers are leading a new study to look at DNA of both normal and cancerous prostate tissue of men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer before age 61. (Read: Would you get circumcised to prevent prostate cancer?)

The new analysis found that men with early onset prostate cancer had more genetic variants than men diagnosed with prostate cancer at a later age. Genetic counselling or increased surveillance in younger men with a family history of prostate cancer may be warranted, the researchers suggested. (Read: Prostate cancer tips to help you lower your level of risk)

The study appeared in the journal Nature Reviews: Urology.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer forms in tissues of the prostate (a gland in the male reproductive system) and is one of the leading causes of cancer in men above the age of 60. Most cases could be slow growing and may even go undetected and not cause any problem. Some could be aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body and are difficult to treat. It usually presents with difficulty and pain during urination, blood in the urine along with sexual dysfunction. Advanced cases may present with bone pain in addition to the urinary symptoms. Prostate cancer is very rare before the age of 40 but the risk increases with age and most cases are detected in the late 60s. Read more about Prostate cancer symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment

With inputs from IANS

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