This is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men in Iowa and the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

The Iowa Cancer Consortium says there were over 10,000 cases of prostate cancer in Iowa from 2009-2013, with 85 of those in Winneshiek County. 

Mayo Clinic Health System urologist Dr. Brad Orvis says if prostate cancer is diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate is almost 100 percent and the ten-years survival rate of Winneshiek Medical Center patients whose prostate cancer was detected earlier is 98 percent.

Dr. Orvis says it's still recommended that men get tested annually beginning at the age of 50, or at age 40 if there was a family history of prostate cancer. "There is some controversy regarding PSA screenings, but it remains an extremely useful tool in the early diagnosis and management of prostate cancer."