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Prostate cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most common
male cancer in Britain.
In 1999, 24,908 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer compared
to 23,369 men with lung cancer.
Experts say that rates of lung cancer, which is still a major
killer, have fallen among males because fewer men smoke, and
prostate cancer is rising because the population is aging.
A blood test, known as PSA testing, is currently used to
diagnose prostate cancer. Though widely used in the United
States, the test is not recommended for general screening
in the UK because it often gives false positive results, and
doctors do not know how to treat early disease.
Prostate cancer is often less aggressive than lung cancer,
and many men die from other causes without ever knowing they
had prostate cancer. Still, some 10,000 men die from the disease
in Britain each year.
Reuter's
Health March 24, 2003
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