GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and although the month is almost over, one doctor is encouraging men to think about their prostate year-round.
Doctor Adam Murphy from Northwestern University said prostate cancer is the number one cancer in men. He urges men to be aware of what they're putting into their bodies.
"About 16% of people who get prostate cancer die of it. Prostate cancer death is the number two cancer in the United States, and so it's very common, and although it's not very virulent, because it's so common, it kills a lot of men every year," said Murphy.
According to the American Urological Association, one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
Black men are 1.7 times more likely to develop prostate cancer and 2.1 times more likely to die from the disease compared to white men.
"I just think that because of that stigma, people really don't want to talk about it. There's already that history in the Black community of John Henryism, where you don't really talk about your health conditions, and you kind of put up the brave face and act like you're strong. The sexual nature of prostate cancer still does make it harder for people to know about. It is not a common household word," said Murphy.
Murphy said there are dietary factors that are associated with prostate cancer risk.
"Excess dairy animal protein, mostly red meat temperature, cooked red meats seems to increase risk. Vitamin D deficiency seems to be an independent risk factor for prostate cancer and prostate cancer aggressiveness in black men," said Murphy.
He also said men should start getting screenings in their 40s. Screenings can be done in two ways, a blood test or a digital exam.
Although September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Murphy said it's important to be aware of your health and check in on your prostate year-round.
"It's 99% curable when you get it early. It's 25% curable when you detect a metastatic disease where it's spread all over the body already, and you can prevent yourself from being metastatic at diagnosis by screening earlier and regularly with the same doctor, same lab. We have to do our job to make prostate cancer a household word," said Murphy.
The doctor encourages people to do more research about Prostate Cancer through the American Cancer Society.