Description of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a silent killer, because many men do not realize they have the condition until it has begun to spread and is less treatable. Statistics from the American Cancer Society indicate that one in every six men will develop the condition at some point in his life, making it a very real threat to the male population. The best way to combat this disease is through proper education and health screenings for all men at risk for the condition.

Definition

• The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland that surrounds a man's urethra. Its function is to supply part of the seminal fluid. Sometimes prostate cells begin to grow uncontrollably, causing small tumors to form in the prostate gland. The disease begins localized in the prostate gland. Over time if left untreated the prostate tumors can spread outside of the gland in a process doctors call metastasis. When the cancer cells begin to spread, they attack the lymphatic system, which is often fatal.

Incidence

• Statistics published by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (see References) indicate that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in America outside of skin cancer. Men are 35 percent more likely to develop this disease than a woman is to develop breast cancer. The American Cancer Society says that 2 million men in the United States are currently living with a known diagnosis of the disease. Also, other than lung cancer, more men will die of prostate cancer than any other form of cancer, with one in 35 cases turning fatal. (See References.)

Risk Factors

• For most men, age is the strongest risk factor for this prostate disease. The Prostate Cancer Foundation says that over 65 percent of all cases are diagnosed for patients who are past the age of 65. Race also plays a role in a man's risk for the disease, with African Americans being at the highest risk. Family history of the disease increases an individual's risk for developing it. If a patient's father, brother or son has had the condition, he is twice as likely to develop it as someone with a similar lifestyle but no close relative with the disease.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

• Treating prostate cancer effectively requires diagnosis before the cancer spreads out of the prostate gland. However, early-stage prostate cancer causes few symptoms, so many cases go undiagnosed when they are most treatable. For this reason, the American Cancer Society recommends men undergo routine prostate cancer screenings after age 50. These tests include the PSA blood test and the digital rectal exam. The PSA blood test looks for increased levels of PSA, a protein produced by the prostate gland. During the digital rectal exam, the physician feels the prostate through the rectum to locate any potential tumors.

Treatment

• When diagnosed early, prostate cancer can be successfully treated. Some men choose not to have treatment, instead opting for watchful waiting, or closely monitoring the prostate for signs of growth and pursuing treatment then. A prostatectomy, or the surgical removal of the prostate, is the oldest prostate cancer treatment. Treatments that aim to shrink the tumor or stop its growth include radiation therapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy. Other treatments work by destroying the gland and its cancer. These include microwave therapy, cryotherapy, laser treatment and high intensity focused ultrasound.

Prognosis

• Because early stage prostate cancer treatment is so successful, most patients with prostate cancer have excellent survival rates. The 10-year survival rate for these patients is 93 percent, according to research published by the New York Times (see References). The 15-year survival rate is 77 percent. For metastasized cancer that has spread far past the prostate gland, average survival time is just one to three years. Recurrent prostate cancer is treatable if the cancer remains inside the prostate gland, but most patients who see their cancer return find that it has spread.