prostate cancer deaths

• Prostate cancer is the second-leading site in cancer deaths in men, accounting for an annual average of 79 deaths in San Mateo County between 1992 and 1996.⁵⁹⁰

prostate cancer incidence

• Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men. Between 1990 and 1994, the annual average age-adjusted incidence rate of male prostate cancer cases in San Mateo County was 138.7 new cases per 100,000. This incidence rate is below the California rate (145.1 per 100,000). ⁵⁹¹

• Further, the prostate cancer incidence rate in San Mateo County is highest among White men, followed by Hispanic men, and Asian/Other men. [Note that African-American rates are not included in this analysis due to insufficient data.] ⁵⁹²

prostate cancer screening

• A total of 7.5% of men in San Mateo County have a father or brother who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, compared to 5.5% of men throughout the nation. This percentage is highest among those aged 65 and older (15.3%) and whites (10.6%).⁵⁹³

• Furthermore, 49.6% of men aged 40 and older in San Mateo County have had a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test within the past year to check for prostate cancer. This is percentage is similar to the nationwide finding of 47.4%. ⁵⁹⁴

• Men 40 or older who are more likely to have had a PSA test within the past year include African-Americans (82.1%) and men 65 or older (72.4%). In contrast, Asian men 40 and older are significantly more likely never to have had a PSA test (68.9% "never" have had a PSA test). [Note that sample sizes among African-Americans, Asians, and those at lower income levels are small and thus less reliable than other numbers.] ⁵⁹⁵

testicular cancer screening

Testicular cancer often strikes men in late adolescence to early adulthood. However, if detected and treated early, testicular cancer has a very high cure rate.

• Most men (62.1%) in San Mateo County have had a testicular examination by a physician at some point in their lives, nearly identical to the 62.3% found nationwide. ⁵⁹⁶

• Note that the examination rate among those at highest risk (those aged 18 to 39) for testicular cancer is only 50.6%. In addition, low examination rates are found among Asians (37.6%), men with annual incomes of $28,000 or less (46.8%), men with a high school education or less (50.6%), and Hispanics (54.4%). [Note that sample sizes among those at lower income levels are small and thus less reliable than other numbers.] ⁵⁹⁷

• It is recommended that men perform a testicular self-examination monthly; however, 60.8% of men in San Mateo County do not know how to perform such a self-exam. Nationwide, 62.0% of adult males do not know how to perform a testicular self-examination. Those less likely to know how to perform a self-exam include men with annual incomes of $28,000 or less (78.5%), Asians (76.5%), men with no postsecondary education (73.7%) and men aged 65 or older (67.9%). [Note that sample sizes among older men and those at lower income levels are small and thus less reliable than other numbers.] ⁵⁹⁸

• Furthermore, only 12.5% of men perform a testicular self-examination monthly to check for potentially cancerous lumps. The percentage among men aged 18 to 39 is 11.3%. Men less likely to perform monthly self-exams include Asians (6.1%) and those with no postsecondary education (9.3%). ⁵⁹⁹

599  Ibid.