September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society, with local headquarters in Bedford, offers guidance on prostate cancer screening and treatment, along with support for men dealing with the disease.

Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in the United States, with an estimated 241,740 new cases – affecting one out of every six men – this year. Although prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men, surpassed only by lung cancer, there are more than 2 million men in the U.S. today who count themselves as prostate cancer survivors.

Finding and treating prostate cancer early increases the chances for survival, yet prostate cancer usually has no symptoms. The American Cancer Society urges men to stay well by talking with their doctors to make an informed decision about screening for prostate cancer. All men should be given sufficient information about the benefits and limitations of testing and early detection to allow them to make a decision based on their personal values and preferences.

Men at average risk should receive this information beginning at age 50. Men at higher risk, including African-American men and men with a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65, should receive this information beginning at age 45. Men at appreciably higher risk (multiple family members diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65) should receive this information beginning at age 40.

The American Cancer Society helps men get well after a prostate cancer diagnosis by offering free patient services and programs, such as Man to Man, a prostate cancer support group to help men cope with prostate cancer through community-based education and support for patients and their family members. Volunteers organize these monthly meetings where guest speakers lead discussions and inform participants about prostate cancer, treatment, side effects and how to cope with prostate cancer. Man to Man meetings, open to all men along with their caregivers and family members, are held at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua and the Payson Center for Cancer Care at Concord Hospital the second Wednesday of every month. Meetings also are held at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon the fourth Monday of every month.

To learn more about prostate cancer or to register for a Man to Man support group meeting, visit www.cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345.