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WHAT IS THE PROSTATE?The prostate is a gland found just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It wraps around a tube called the urethra, which carries urine and semen out of the penis. The prostate gland normally tends to enlarge in the vast majority of
males as they age. For many men, this growth can cause symptoms later in
life. The growth is made up of non-cancerous tissue and is known medically
as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. BPH does not lead to cancer, but
it can cause uncomfortable symptoms. IS A PSA TEST REALLY NECESSARY?Some researchers are concerned that prostate cancer can be so slow
growing that the prescribed treatment and side effects are often worse
than the potential consequences of inaction. However without a PSA test,
it would be impossible to know if an early stage cancer will be slow
growing or of the more aggressive type that can quickly become fatal if
left untreated. WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER?Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Prostate cancer begins inside the prostate and may grow to involve the entire gland. Eventually, it can also spread outside the gland or spread to other body parts. Some prostate cancers grow slowly, while others can move quickly to other parts of the body, especially the lymph nodes and the bones. This spread is called metastasis. WHO GETS PROSTATE CANCER?Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among American men. The number of diagnosed cases has been increasing dramatically over the past decade, largely due to the growing use of a blood test (PSA TEST) that is widely used to screen for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer affects thousands of lives. More than 180,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S. More than 30,000 patients die from the disease annually. Although it can happen to men of all ages, it is much more common in men over 50, and most common in men over 65. Prostate cancer is most common in North America and Europe, and it is unusually prevalent in men of sub-Saharan African decent. Because it is usually detected in more advanced stages, African-American men have poorer survival rates than Caucasian Americans. Because of this, African American men are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as are white American men. RISK FACTORSThe risk of getting prostate cancer increases greatly with age. Apart from race, men with a family history and/or a high fat diet are also considered to be at higher risk. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
In its earliest stages, prostate cancer usually causes no pain or other
symptoms. Sometimes, men with early stage prostate cancer have trouble
urinating, but this symptom is far more likely to indicate BPH. Men
should talk to their doctors about any urinary symptoms they have. CONFIRMING THE DIAGNOSISA diagnosis of prostate cancer is usually confirmed by a biopsy of the prostate gland. A biopsy is a test in which small samples of prostate tissue are removed and examined under a microscope. It may be done in the doctor's office and only takes a few seconds. The tissue sample is sent to the lab to see if cancer cells are present. If cancer is found, further tests will be done to determine the stage of the disease. The stage of the disease indicates the local size or extent of the cancer and whether it is still confined to the prostate gland. The grade of cancer is also important because it helps to determine
whether the cancer is likely to be fast growing or slow growing. STAGINGStaging is the process of finding out how far the cancer has spread. It involves gathering information from several tests that may include a bone scan, a CT scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and a biopsy of the lymph nodes. It is very important to know the stage to select the right treatment. Men should ask their doctors to carefully explain what the stage of their disease means so they can make fully informed choices about treatment. |
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