What Is Prostate Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, about 200,000 cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year. During a man’s lifetime, he has a one in six chance of developing prostate cancer and approximately a one in ten chance of being diagnosed with the disease; more men are affected by prostate cancer than any other cancer except skin cancer, and more men die from prostate cancer than any of other cancer except for lung cancer. These statistics show that prostate cancer is common and widespread in men, and in addition, that every man has a great risk of getting this disease. If the disease is detected in its early stages, the chances of undergoing successful treatment are very good. Men who are diagnosed in the early stages have a 100% survival rate for the first five years after diagnosis.
The prostate is a gland which is found only in men. It is about the size of a walnut, and sits in the lower pelvis between the rectum and the bladder. It secretes an alkaline, milky-colored liquid which makes up more than twenty percent of the liquid expelled when a man ejaculates. The prostate requires male hormones such as testosterone and androgens in order to make this liquid. In older men, the number of cells in the prostate increases, and this can lead to an enlarged prostate. This does not mean they have cancer because most enlarged prostates are benign, and not dangerous to the health of the man.
Some men are at a higher risk of prostate cancer than others, although the exact causes of the higher risks are not known. It has been found that the incidence of cancer is far greater in older men than in younger men. Studies have shown that about 86% of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed in men between the ages of 50 and 80. This means that advancing age is a major risk factor for the disease, but it is not the only one. Other risk factors include a personal or a family history of prostate cancer, obesity, and being of African-American descent. In fact, African-American men are at least twice as likely to die from the disease as men from other racial and ethnic groups. Medical research also shows a correlation between diet and the occurrence of prostate cancer. Studies show that men who consume a large quantity of red meat or high-fat dairy products, and who also tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables, seem to have a greater risk of developing prostate cancer.
There are two tests generally used to check for prostate cancer. There is a physical exam and a blood test. The physical exam is called a digital rectal exam and is quick and easy. A doctor will insert his lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and then feel the prostate to search for hard or lumpy areas. Although the exam may be momentarily uncomfortable, the patient will feel no pain and there will be no damage to the prostate. The blood test is called the prostate-specific antigen test or PSA test. The doctor will draw blood from the arm of the patient and then send the blood sample to a laboratory. The laboratory tests it to find if there is a high level of the PSA protein in the sample. If the level of PSA is higher than 4 ng/mL (four nanograms per milliliter), that could indicate prostate cancer, or a non-cancerous infection known as prostatitis, or simply an enlarged prostate. Further tests must be administered in order for the doctor to determine which of these conditions the patient has.
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