Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Slideshow Pictures Medical Illustrations of the Prostate Image Collection Screening Tests Every Man Needs Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Kevin C. Zorn, MD, FRCSC, FACS

Coauthor:

Gagan Gautam, MD, MCh (Urology)

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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• Prostate Cancer Overview
• Prostate Cancer Causes
• Prostate Cancer Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Prostate Cancer Treatment
• Medical Treatment
• Surgery
• Other Therapy
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Prognosis
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Prostate Cancer Overview

The prostate is a glandular organ present only in males. Only men develop prostate cancer.

The prostate is normally about 3 cm long (slightly more than 1 inch) and lies at the neck of the bladder and in front of the rectum.

• The prostate surrounds the urethra, which is a tubular structure that carries sperm and urine out of the penis.



• The prostate produces a thin, milky fluid that is added to the sperm at the time of ejaculation.



• Older men often have an enlarged prostate, which is a noncancerous condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) that causes urinary symptoms.

Cancer occurs when normal cells undergo a transformation in which they grow and multiply without normal controls.

• As the cells multiply, they form a mass called a tumor.



• Tumors are cancerous only if they are malignant. This means that they invade neighboring tissues because of their uncontrolled growth.



• They may also travel to remote organs via the bloodstream.



• This process of invading and spreading to other organs is called metastasis.



• Tumors overwhelm surrounding tissues by invading their space and taking the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive and function.

Almost all prostate cancers arise from the secretory glandular cells in the prostate. Cancer arising from a glandular cell is known as adenocarcinoma. Therefore, almost all prostatic cancers are prostatic adenocarcinomas.

In the United States, cancer of the prostate is a common malignant cancer in men, second only to lung cancer. According to American cancer society's most recent estimates, 192,280 new cases of prostate cancer would be diagnosed in 2009 and 27,360 would die from the disease.

The estimated lifetime risk of being diagnosed with the disease is 17.6% for whites and 20.6% for African Americans. The lifetime risk of death from prostate cancer similarly is 2.8% and 4.7% respectively. Because of these numbers, prostate cancer is likely to impact the lives of a significant proportion of men that are alive today.

Over the years, however, the death rate from this disease has shown a steady decline, and currently more than 2 million men in the U.S. are still alive after being diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives.