Prostate Cancer Warning

(CBS)  Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in this country, and the news that Colin Powell has prostate cancer is a reminder for all men to get screened for the disease.

The Early Show Medical Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay gives the details on Tuesday about prostate cancer.

State department officials say that the 66-year-old Secretary of State underwent a two-hour surgery Monday to remove his prostate gland. It is located next to the bladder in men, which is where prostate cancer develops. Powell is expected to spend several days at Walter Reed Army Medical Center before returning to his home to recuperate.

Officials say that Powell was initially diagnosed several months ago, and after consulting his doctors and family, scheduled the surgery at a relatively slow time at work.

Officials quoting his doctors say the surgery was successful. They found a localized prostate cancer and removed it with no complications. A full recovery is expected.

The illness has apparently not disrupted Powell's work in recent weeks. He made two foreign trips in the past month and placed 23 telephone calls to fellow foreign ministers on Sunday, following Saddam's capture.

Powell is expected to be back on the job by early in the new year, and he is expected to be sending e-mails and instructions to his staff within days.

Prostate cancer is a disease that occurs much more often in African-American men. The risk is 60 percent higher for African-Americans compared to white men. But it's estimated one in six of all men will develop prostate cancer.

There are an estimated 220,000 new cases each year and almost 29,000 deaths.

It is more likely to develop as age increases, and most men are thought to develop it eventually the older they get. Family history of the disease also puts a man at higher risk.

There are several treatment options if a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer. A doctor can advise treatments based on age and the stage of the cancer.

Common ways to get rid of prostate tumors include surgery, radiation externally or in the form of embedding radioactive seeds. Cryosurgery can freeze the tumors, and there are hormonal chemotherapy treatments.

If the disease develops late in life and is slow-growing, sometimes a doctor will suggest no treatment.

The American Cancer Society says men should get checked for prostate cancer yearly starting at the age of 50, or 45 for African-American men, who are at higher risk. A blood test called a PSA test can reveal a warning sign for prostate cancer. And, there is the digital rectal exam -- a feared, but very necessary indignity.