ABSTRACT
Prostate cancer (PCa) has the highest incidence (25%) of any male cancer with 192,280 new cases every year in the United States contributing to 27,360 new cancer deaths per year. It also ranks second in cancer-related deaths in American men (9%) (Jemal et al., 2009). One out every six American males will develop PCa during his lifetime (American Cancer Society, 2006), with 91% of these new cases diagnosed at an early stage and amenable to successful management (Jemal et al., 2009). With the discovery of the prostate-speci c antigen (PSA) as a screening tool, there has been a visible increase in the rate of early PCa detection and a decrease in prostate-related mortality (31% less deaths per year between 1990 and 2003) (Jemal et al., 2009). However, because of an aging population, the incidence of PCa is on the rise with estimates suggesting more than 300,000 people will be affected by the disease by 2015 (American Cancer Society, 2005). As such, there is a pressing need for methods of prevention of this disease to alleviate the current cost and morbidity associated with both its early detection and treatment.
