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Prostate Cancer InformationCancer is a disease characterized by the uncontrolled growth and potential spread of abnormal cells. The human body is made up of billions of cells that normally divide to reproduce themselves. Occasionally, cells abnormally divide too quickly. Rapidly dividing cells can create a mass called a tumor. Some tumors are benign (noncancerous, no potential to spread). Others are malignant (cancerous). The growth of a benign tumor may interfere with body functions, such as urinating, but these tumors are seldom life threatening. On the other hand, malignant tumors, invade and destroy normal tissue. By a process called metastasis, cells break away from a cancerous tumor and spread through the blood and lymphatic system to other parts of the body, where they form new tumors. Sometimes cancer grows and spreads rapidly. In other cases, it develops and spreads slowly.
What is prostate cancer? The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that wraps around the urethra like a small donut (the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the tip of the penis). As with many other organs of the body, cancer cells can grow inside the prostate. In certain more advanced cases, the cancer can spread beyond the prostate. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among all Americans (excluding basal and squamous skin cancers). The incidence of prostate cancer increases with age. Some studies have shown an overall 2- to 3-fold increase in the risk of prostate cancer in men who have a history of this disease in their family. Family history is defined as prostate cancer in a brother, father, or an uncle. It is more significant if a family member was diagnosed with prostate cancer at a younger age (less than 60 years old). The incidence rate of prostate cancer is nearly two times higher in African-American men than Caucasian men.
What causes prostate cancer? The exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown. Prostate cancer is a group of cancerous cells (a tumor) that begins most often in the back portion of the prostate. A fatty diet, family history, older age and African American ethnicity are the only factors currently know to increase one’s risk for prostate cancer. Sexual activity (or lack there of), vasectomy, smoking, and benign prostatic hyperplasia do not appear to be risk factors for prostate cancer. If left untreated, prostate cancer may spread from the prostate to nearby lymph nodes, bones, or other organs. This spread is called metastasis. As a result of metastases, many men experience aches and pains in the bones, pelvis, hips, ribs, and back.
Symptoms Unfortunately, there are often no early warning signs of prostate cancer and without regular screening; prostate cancer can go undetected for years. In some cases, as the tumor grows it may exert pressure on the urethra, blocking the flow of urine from the bladder causing urinary symptoms. Occasionally the first warning sign may be blood in the urine.
Note:
symptoms may not occur until the cancer has
developed to an advanced stage.
Facts and Figures
New
Cases: An estimated 220,000 new cases of prostate cancer will
occur in the United States this year. Prostate cancer incidence
rates remain significantly higher in African-Americans and in men
with a family history of the disease.
Download a copy of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Facts and Figures 2007.
For additional information on diagnosis, staging and treatment options for prostate cancer, you can download our detailed information sheet by clicking here.
Clinical articles available for download: Variations in Prostate Treatment Relapse Free Survival in Clinical Stage T1 - T3 Prostate Cancer
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