With prostate cancer emerging as the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men, medical practitioners stress on the importance for the public to realize who are at risk and to identify the possible symptoms of the disease, Fox news reports.

The factors to determine whether a person is at high risk for prostate cancer are age, race and family history.

Around 233,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in the US annually.

Men above 65 are the hardest hit by prostate cancer. About two thirds of the cases of prostrate cancer are diagnosed in men who are older than 65 years of age. The African American men are not only at higher risk, but also likely to be suffering from an advanced stage of the disease when diagnosed.  Genetics plays a major role, as five to ten percent of the prostate cancer cases are believed to be inherited.

Most of themedical practitioners agree that the decision to get screened for prostate cancer should be made after discussion between a patient and his doctor. However, a new study has assessed the pros and cons of the recommendation by the US Preventive Services Task Force in 2011 to reduce prostate-specific antigen screening for prostate cancer.

The common symptoms of prostate gland include blood in semen, bone pain, pelvic area pain, erectile dysfunction and pain in the bones.