What
is the Prostate?
Ø The Prostate
·
The prostate is a walnut sized gland that is
part of the male reproductive system
·
It is located beneath the urinary bladder and
in front of the rectum
·
The function of the prostate is to make some
of the fluid that nourishes and protects sperm cells in the semen. Just behind
the prostate are the seminal vesicles, which make most of the fluid for the
semen.
·
The urethra, which is a tube that carries
urine and semen out of the body through the penis, runs through the prostate
·
The activity and growth of the prostate is
stimulated by male hormones called androgens.
·
The main androgen is testosterone, which is
produced by the testicles.
Ø Prostate
Cancer Overview
Prostate Cancer Facts
·
Prostate
cancer is the most common malignancy (other than skin cancer) diagnosed in men.
·
On an
annual basis globally, approximately 1.1 Million Men are diagnosed with
prostate cancer and more than 300,000 will die of prostate cancer this year.
·
These
statistics show that prostate cancer is a widely variable disease.
·
Prostate
cancer has the potential to grow and spread quickly, but for most men, it is a
relatively slow growing disease.
·
It is
important for patients to discuss with their doctors the various aspects of
their particular type of prostate cancer to understand how aggressive it is and
how best to treat it.
Research
has shown that men with certain risk factors are more likely to develop
prostate cancer. These risk factors include the following:
Ø Age
over 65 – this is the main risk factor for
prostate cancer. The older a man gets, the more likely he will develop prostate
cancer. This disease is rare in men under 45 years of age.
Ø
Family History –
one’s risk of prostate cancer is higher if you have a father, brother or son
with prostate cancer.
Ø
Race – prostate
cancer is more common among African American men and less common among
Asian/Pacific Islanders, Native American and Native Alaskan men.
Ø
Certain Prostate Changes –
men with cells called high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) may
be at increased risk for prostate cancer.
Ø Certain
Genome Changes – research suggests that the risk for
prostate cancer many be linked to specific changes on particular chromosomes.
Having
a risk factor does not mean that one will develop prostate cancer. Most men
with any of the above risk factors will still never develop this disease.
What
are the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?
Many men with prostate cancer will
have no symptoms related to their cancer. For those that do have symptoms, they
could include any of the following:
Ø Urinary problems – weak urine stream,
difficulty initiating urination, stopping and starting during urination;
urinating frequently, especially at night, pain or burning with urination.
These symptoms are also often associated with noncancerous enlargement of the
prostate, called benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH.
Ø Blood – in the urine and semen.
Ø Pain – in the hips, pelvis,
spine or upper legs.
Ø Pain or discomfort – during ejaculation.
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