Actor Jerry Orbach died at the age of 69 from one of the most common and deadly cancers affecting men. But the cancer is far less deadly if it's caught in its earliest stages, doctors say.

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Dr. Jay Hollander of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., said the No. 1 risk factor for prostate cancer is age.

"Prostate cancer is very rare in young men. It's almost nonexistent under the age of 30," said Hollander, the urology director at the hospital.

Most doctors recommend yearly screening for men older than 50, and those at high risk need to start sooner. Research shows that black men and those of Scandinavian origin have a higher-than-average risk.

Men who have had a brother or father with prostate cancer are also at a higher risk of the disease.

The best way to detect prostate cancer in its early stages is with a yearly rectal exam and a blood test called a prostate-specific antigetn, or PSA, text. PSA is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in the blood, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Hollander warns that in its earliest stages, prostate cancer often has no warning signs, making the yearly exam a must for older men.