prostate cancer

The prostate (pros-tate) is a gland found only in men. The prostate is about the size of a walnut. It is just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The tube that carries urine (the urethra) runs through the prostate. The prostate contains cells that make some of the seminal fluid. This fluid protects and nourishes the sperm.

Male hormones cause the prostate gland to develop in the fetus. The prostate keeps on growing as a boy grows to manhood. If male hormone levels are low, the prostate gland will not grow to full size. In older men, though, the part of the prostate around the urethra often keeps on growing. This causes BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) which can result in problems with urinating.

Most of the time, prostate cancer grows slowly. Autopsy studies show that many older men who died of other diseases also had prostate cancer that neither they nor their doctor were aware of. But sometimes prostate cancer can grow and spread quickly. Even with the latest methods, it is hard to tell which prostate cancers will grow slowly and which will grow quickly.

Some doctors believe that prostate cancer begins with very small changes in the size and shape of the prostate gland cells. These changes are known as PIN (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia). These changes can be either low-grade (almost normal) or high-grade (abnormal).

If you have had a prostate biopsy that showed high-grade PIN, there is a greater chance that there are cancer cells in your prostate. For this reason, you will be watched carefully and may need another biopsy.

Introduction to Prostate Cancer Kit

Being diagnosed with prostate cancer can be a life-altering experience. It requires making some very difficult decisions about treatments that can affect not only the life of the man diagnosed, but also the lives of his family members in significant ways for many years to come.

To help men and women know where to begin, the Prostate Cancer Foundation created an Introduction to Prostate Cancer Kit, which features Conversation Tips, a series of pointers and questions that can be used to start a conversation about prostate cancer. In addition, the Kit includes the An Introduction to Prostate Cancer guide, a list of FAQs About Prostate Cancer, and other materials designed to help both men and women learn about prostate cancer.