Over the past several weeks a lot of new information has been published about the Prostate. If you are an African American man, you have to be concerned about your prostate gland because it is the 2nd leading type of cancer in all men. About 3 million men are diagnosed annually with prostate cancer and about 125,000 men die every year from the disease. African American physicians and some others feel that the prostate should be examined annually starting at age 40 and not waiting until age 50 with a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE). The prostatic specific antigen (PSA) is the blood test some physicians feel should be done annually. Currently there is hot debate among the experts as to whether the PSA test is effective in diagnosing prostate cancer. A major high risk factor is relative history--- a father, uncle, or brother that had the disease. Being of African American descent and aging are other risk factors for prostate cancer. As an African American physician who has seen far too much prostate cancer, I am in the camp that recommends annual check ups with a DRE and PSA. (This the 1st of a four part series on the State of the Prostate.)