Death rates for prostate cancer in Utah hit No. 4 in the US

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Utah ranks fourth in the U.S. for prostate cancer death rates.
One in 40 Utah men die from prostate cancer, highlighting screening issues.

SALT LAKE CITY — Former President Joe Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis has brought an old conversation to the forefront of headlines, and it's one that men in Utah need to hear, because right now, they have nearly the highest death rates for prostate cancer in the U.S.

According to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, 1 in 8 Utah men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, with roughly 2,000 to 3,000 new men diagnosed every year. Compared to other states, that puts Utah at No. 21 in the country.

But when it comes to prostate cancer deaths, Utah is well above average: 1 in 40 Utah men die from the disease. That puts Utah at No. 4 in the country for prostate cancer deaths.

Part of the problem is Utah men not getting screened as early as they should.

Other reasons for that could be Utahns' access to health care, especially in rural towns with older populations who live farther away from where they get treatment. It's part of the reason then-Vice President Biden visited the Huntsman Cancer Institute back in 2016 — to unite researchers to eliminate cancer.

Other reasons for that could be Utahns' access to healthcare, especially in rural towns with older populations who live farther away from where they get treatment. It's part of the reason then-Vice President Biden visited the Huntsman Cancer Institute back in 2016 — to unite researchers to eliminate cancer.

So what's the solution? Johnson said men need to be screened for prostate cancer starting at age 50.

There's now a simple blood test you can take, he said. But if you have a family history of prostate cancer, you may want to get screened sooner. At a bare minimum, 50 is the age men need to start talking with doctors about screening.

Still not sure? The University of Utah Prostate Risk Clinic offers resources to help.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Brian Carlson

Brian Carlson is an award-winning Utah journalist, who has spent the last 16 years reporting in his hometown, but his time on television started much earlier than that. Born and raised in Utah, Brian got his first taste for on-air news at 8 years old being interviewed by KSL for knowing how to call 911 during an attempted home break-in. He began appearing regularly on TV in high school for an all-student run show, then graduated from BYU in Broadcast Journalism. His professional TV career started in 2005 at KNDU in Kennewick, Washington. Brian moved back to Utah in 2008 reporting and anchoring for various shows at ABC4, and finally came to KSL in June 2024. In 2012, Brian won a regional Emmy for his report titled “Spice in the City,” in which Brian purchased drugs undercover and was instrumental in assisting police capture an illegal drug dealer. In 2014, Brian was the first TV reporter to tell the story of Ron Stallworth, a young black detective who infiltrated the KKK. Brian’s report became the catalyst to the Oscar award-winning film “BlacKkKlansman” directed by Spike Lee. In Brian’s career, he’s reported on everything from going behind the fire lines documenting the moment an elderly couple discovered they lost all they had in a Utah wildfire, to jumping out of an airplane, or gliding 57 mph down the Olympic skeleton track in Park City. Brian is also the only reporter to become an NBA mascot for a day, working with the former Utah Jazz Bear. Watching KSL5 News you can find Brian each week covering the latest news LIVE on location, including the devastating flooding in Orem, the Honie execution, or from the Utah GOP headquarters LIVE on election night, etc. Brian is happily married to his wife Liz and together they have an adorable son. He’s also stepfather to four children. Brian enjoys weightlifting, water sports, rock climbing, cheering on the BYU Cougars, and loves calling the Beehive State home.