What is this condition?

This cancer affects the prostate - the chestnut-sized gland in males that surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra (the structure that drains urine from the bladder). Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men over age 50.

Most prostate cancers arise in the rear portion of the prostate gland; the rest originate near the urethra. Prostate cancer rarely results from the benign enlargement that commonly develops around the prostatic urethra in older men.

Prostate cancer accounts for about 18% of all cancers. It’s most common in Blacks and least common in Asians. Its incidence in­creases with age more rapidly than any other cancer.

What causes it?

Researchers haven’t found a definite link between prostate cancer and increased levels of androgens (male hormones), although androgens regulate prostate growth and function and may speed tumor growth.

What are the Symptoms of Prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer Symptoms include difficulty starting a urine stream; urine dribbling or retention; urinary pain, frequency, or urgency; and, rarely, blood in the urine.

How is it diagnosed?

The doctor will perform a manual rectal exam, which may reveal a small, hard mass, or nodule. The American Cancer Society advises a yearly rectal exam for men over age 40, a yearly blood test to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in men over age 50, and ultrasound if results are abnormal.

Biopsy confirms the diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (commonly called MRI), a computed tomography scan (commonly called a CAT scan), and special X-rays of the urinary tract may also aid diagnosis.

How is it treated?

The preferred treatment depends on symptoms, the person’s tolerance for therapy and expected life span, and the disease stage. Care is taken when choosing a treatment method, because older men (commonly affected) typically have other disorders, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.

Generally, treatment includes surgery to remove the prostate, and occasionally one or both testicles, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy. Radiation therapy is also used to cure some invasive tumors and to relieve pain from cancer spread to bone .

If hormone therapy, surgery, and radiation therapy aren’t feasible or successful, chemotherapy may be tried. However, current drug therapy offers limited benefit. Combining several treatment methods may be most effective.