September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month!

Published 09/30/2024

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, a time to spread knowledge and offer support to those affected.

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system that tends to grow larger as a man ages. When men are in their 20s, the normal prostate is about the size of a walnut. By the time a man is age 40, the prostate may have grown slightly larger. However, by age 60, the prostate is often the size of a lemon. Age increases the risk of common prostate changes and conditions including inflammation (prostatitis), enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer. 

Prostate cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in men. Risk factors for prostate cancer include increasing age, ancestry, genetics, and having a family history of prostate or other cancers. Some symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty urinating; frequent urination; pain in back, hips or pelvis; and blood in urine or semen. However, not all men experience symptoms from prostate cancer, and not all prostate cancers require treatment. Early detection is key.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Cancer Society and ZERO Prostate Cancer estimates for prostate cancer in the United States for 2024 are:

  • 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2024
     
  • A man is diagnosed with prostate cancer every 2 minutes
     
  • 1-in-8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime (1 in 6 for African American men)
     
  • African American men are 17 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and are often diagnosed at a younger age and tend to have more advanced disease when found 
     
  • Men are at greater risk with first-degree relatives with prostate cancer including three generations on both side of family
     
  • Men are at greater risk when members of family have been diagnosed with breast, ovarian, or pancreatic cancer
     
  • Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men
     
  • 35,250 men are expected to die from prostate cancer in 2024 (second only to lung cancer)
     
  • A man dies from prostate cancer every 15 minutes
     
  • African American men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer 
     
  • Today, there are more than 3.3 million prostate cancer survivors
     
  • The relative five-year survival rate for prostate cancer diagnosed in its earliest stages is over 99 percent
     
  • The five-year survival rate for advanced or metastatic prostate cancer drops to 34 percent

Ensuring awareness is key in ensuring patients and their loved ones are able to make informed decisions. Therefore, it is imperative that providers discuss prostate health with all male patients (including Medicare beneficiaries); topics of discussion should include prostate-related symptoms, diagnostic tests, and treatments. Also encourage all Medicare beneficiaries to take advantage of Medicare-covered screenings, including appropriate prostate cancer screenings such as digital rectal exams (DREs) and routine prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood tests (once every 12 months) for all male patients aged 50 and over. 

CPT®/HCPCS/ICD-10 Codes and patient monetary responsibilities include:

CPT®/HCPCS Codes

ICD-10 Code: Z12.5. (Note: Additional ICD-10 codes may apply. Find individual change requests and specific ICD-10-CM covered service codes on the CMS ICD-10 web page.)

References and Resources 


Was this article helpful?