Prostate cancer is a
disease in which
cancer develops in the
prostate, a gland in the
male
reproductive system. It occurs when
cells of the prostate
mutate and begin to multiply out of control. These cells may
spread (
metastasize)
from the prostate to other parts of the body, especially the
bones
and
lymph nodes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in
urinating,
erectile dysfunction and other
symptoms. The difficulty with urinating is that your stream
becomes weaker. You may notice that younger children have a
strong urine stream, which is because of their Prostate.
Prostate cancer just weakens the stream even more.
Rates of
prostate cancer vary widely across the world. Although the rates
vary widely between countries, it is least common in South and
East Asia, more common in Europe, and most common in the United
States.[1]
According to the
American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is least common
among Asian men and most common among black men, with figures
for white men in-between.[2][3]
However, these high rates may be affected by increasing rates of
detection.[4]
Prostate cancer develops most frequently in men over fifty.
This cancer can occur only in men, as the prostate is
exclusively of the male reproductive tract. It is the most
common type of cancer in men in the United States, where it is
responsible for more male deaths than any other cancer, except
lung cancer. However, many men who develop prostate cancer
never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of
other causes. Many factors, including
genetics and
diet, have been implicated in the development of prostate
cancer.
Prostate cancer is most often discovered by
physical examination or by screening
blood tests, such as the PSA (prostate
specific antigen) test. There is some current concern about
the accuracy of the PSA test and its usefulness. Suspected
prostate cancer is typically confirmed by removing a piece of
the prostate (biopsy)
and examining it under a
microscope. Further tests, such as
X-rays and
bone scans, may be performed to determine whether prostate
cancer has spread.
Prostate cancer can be treated with
surgery,
radiation therapy,
hormonal therapy, occasionally
chemotherapy,
proton therapy, or some combination of these. The age and
underlying health of the man as well as the extent of spread,
appearance under the microscope, and response of the cancer to
initial treatment are important in determining the outcome of
the disease. Since prostate cancer is a disease of older men,
many will die of other causes before a slowly advancing prostate
cancer can spread or cause symptoms. This makes treatment
selection difficult.
The decision whether or not to treat localized prostate cancer
(a tumor that is contained within the prostate) with curative
intent is a
patient trade-off between the expected beneficial and
harmful effects in terms of patient survival and quality of
life.