Prostate cancer is a cancer that develops on the prostate gland in the male reproductive system. It’s a major health concern for men around the world. The disease is rare for men before the age of 50 with experts believing that the large majority of elderly men have some traces of it. Take a look below for 25 more important and scary facts about prostate cancer.

1. Prostate cancers grows very slowly and will often have no symptoms until it’s too advanced to be stopped. Most men with prostate cancer die due to other causes without even knowing that they have it. However, once prostate cancer beings to grow quickly, it tends to spread to other parts of the body.

2. While doctors aren’t sure what exactly causes prostate cancer, researchers agree that diet is a big contributing factor.

3. A man’s age, race and family history can also contribute to their risk of developing prostate cancer.

4. There is currently no evidence that a person can prevent prostate cancer; however, a healthy diet can help lower the risk significantly.

5. About 238,590 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2013. About 29,720 men will die from prostate cancer.

6. About 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.

7. The chances of a man or their close relative getting prostate cancer is 1 in 3. The risk jumps to 83% if two close relatives, such as a father or brother, has been diagnosed with the disease.

8. African American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world.

9. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of male cancer related death in the United States.

10. About two thirds of men diagnosed with prostate cancer are 65 years or older.

11. Before early detecting through PSA screening, only 1 in 4 prostate cancer cases were found while still in the early stages.

12. Nearly 100% of men that are diagnosed with prostate cancer while the cancer is in early stages are still alive 5 years after the diagnosis.

13. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, right behind lung cancer. About 1 in 39 American men will die of prostate cancer.

14. More than 2.9 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives are still alive today.

15. Today, most prostate cancer treatments involve surgery using robotic assistance and proton beam radiation.

16. Men who undergo robotic surgery for early stage prostate cancer have an excellent chance of cure, while experiencing the least amount of side effects.

17. Prostate cancer is one of the only cancers that can be detected through blood work alone.

18. While there was a viral story a few years ago that linked vasectomy with increased cancer, that isn’t true. According to Daniel Landau, MD, currently, having a vasectomy doesn’t seem to increase the risk of prostate cancer.

19. Not every patient with prostate cancer needs treatment. Once a doctor performs a biopsy of the prostate, the cancer is evaluated to see if it’s the type that doesn’t grow and may decide to just leave it.

20. Unlike many other metastatic cancers, metastatic meaning that the patient has a very short life expectancy, there are many treatment avenues and promising agents on the horizon for prostate cancer.

21. Nearly 30,000 men will die from prostate cancer every year. However, 190,000 of those diagnosed with prostate cancer don’t die from the disease.

22. Screening for prostate cancer takes less than 10 minutes, though screening for men over 70 years old might be unnecessary, especially if there are comorbidities.

23. Lack of exercise can lead to generally bad health and makes a person more susceptible to all sorts of diseases, such as prostate cancer.

24. A man with three first degree relatives with prostate cancer has ten times the increased risk of developing prostate cancer himself.

25. The prostate needs time and male hormones to develop the cancer. While testosterone doesn’t cause prostate cancer, it’s essential for prostate cancer to develop.