Early Prostate Cancer: Questions and Answers
What is the prostate?
The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive
system. The prostate makes and stores a component of semen and is located in the
pelvis, under the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate surrounds
part of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder. A healthy
prostate is about the size of a walnut. Because of the prostate's location, the
flow of urine can be slowed or stopped if the prostate grows too large.
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer forms in the tissues of the
prostate. Except for skin cancer, cancer of the prostate is the most common
malignancy in American men. It is estimated that 218,890 men in the United
States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007. In most men with
prostate cancer, the disease grows very slowly. The majority of men with
low-grade, early prostate cancer (which means that cancer cells have been found
only in the prostate gland) live a long time after their diagnosis. Even without
treatment, many of these men will not die of the prostate cancer, but rather
will live with it until they eventually die of some other, unrelated cause.
Nevertheless, it is estimated that nearly 27,000 men will die from prostate
cancer in 2007.
Who is at risk for prostate cancer?
An important risk factor is age; more
than 70 percent of men diagnosed with this disease are over the age of 65.
African American men have a substantially higher risk of prostate cancer than
white men, including Hispanic men. Dramatic differences in the incidence of
prostate cancer are also seen in different populations around the world. There
is some evidence that dietary factors are involved, such as vitamin E and
selenium, which may have a protective effect. Genetic factors also appear to
play a role, particularly for families in which the diagnosis is made in men
under age 60. The risk of prostate cancer rises with the number of close
relatives who have the disease.
Next: What other prostate conditions can cause symptoms like these? »
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