Information about Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is a disease in which malignant cells (cancer) form in the tissues of the prostate. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra (the tube through which urine flows from the bladder to the outside). The prostate produces a fluid that makes up part of the semen.
According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer affecting men in the United States. Approximately 221,000 men in the United States were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003. More than seventy percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year are over the age of 65.
In Central America and the Caribbean, prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in men. Incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer vary between countries. The highest mortality and incidence rates for prostate cancer occur in the Caribbean, with Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana standing out.
The lowest mortality rates for this type of cancer occur in the United States and Canada, despite their high incidence rates.
There are no observable symptoms of prostate cancer while in the early stages. In more advanced stages, symptoms include urinary difficulty or frequency, blood in the urine or bone pain.
Unfortunately, there are no symptoms of early prostate cancer. When the prostate begins to swell due to a tumor and/or cancer has spread, some of the following symptoms may be experienced:
- Frequent or uncontrollable urination
- Complications when attempting to start or stop the flow of urine
- Urine leakage during bodily contractions
- Painful burning sensation upon urination and/or ejaculation
- Blood in urine and/or semen
- Swelling of the lower extremities of the body
- Sudden weakness or paralysis of the lower extremities
The growth of cancer in the prostate creates a blockage, which can lead to symptoms like these. The cancer itself does not cause these symptoms. However, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, call your doctor to discuss them further.
Regular screening and detection can identify prostate cancer in its early stages. Early identification of prostate cancer allows for early treatment resulting in fewer side effects, treatment with a better prognosis, and a greater chance of being cured.
Risk factors associated with Prostate Cancer
A risk factor is anything that affects the likelihood that you will get a disease. However, having one or even several risk factors does not mean you will get the disease. Researchers have discovered several risk factors that can affect a man's risk of prostate cancer.
The risk of prostate cancer increases with age. It is rare for prostate cancer to develop in men under 40 years of age; in most cases it occurs in men over 65 years of age.
AGE
Theoretically, all men are at risk of developing prostate cancer. As age increases, the likelihood of developing prostate cancer is higher. It is very rare in men under 40 (where the rate of prostate cancer is only 1 in 10,000), however, the rate of men diagnosed with prostate cancer rises rapidly to 1 in 38 for men between 40 to 59 and even higher at 1 in 14 for ages 60 to 69. Statistically speaking, men over the age of 65 account for more than 65% of all men diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, this does not completely eliminate men in their 30s or even younger from being at risk for prostate cancer.
RACE / ETHNICITY
Prostate cancer occurs more often in black men and Caribbean men of African descent than in men of other races. Black men are also more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men. Prostate cancer occurs less often in Asian-American and Hispanic/Latino men than in white men. The reasons for these racial and ethnic differences are unclear.
GEOGRAPHY
The geographic area where you live can have a huge effect on the risk of developing prostate cancer. Men residing in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia and the Caribbean islands are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer, and it is less common in men in Asia, Africa, Central America and South America. For example, the risk of developing prostate cancer in men residing in the United States is 17% versus a 2% risk for men living in rural China. However, when men from countries such as China move to Western culture, the risk of developing prostate cancer increases substantially. The factors contributing to these dramatic changes in prostate cancer risk have not yet been determined. Hispanic men have a risk similar to that of the general population, although the death rate from this disease has not declined in recent years as it has in Caucasian and African-American men.
GENETICS / FAMILY HISTORY
Prostate cancer occurs more often in black men and Caribbean men of African descent than in men of other races. Black men are also more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men. Prostate cancer occurs less often in Asian-American and Hispanic/Latino men than in white men. The reasons for these racial and ethnic differences are unclear.
DIET
Several diet-related factors have been studied in recent years to better understand their role in affecting the risk of developing prostate cancer. Men who eat rice, vegetables and soy products have been shown to be less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer while men who tend to eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products appear to have a higher chance of developing prostate cancer. These men also tend to eat less fruits and vegetables. Doctors and scientists have not reached conclusive results as to which of these factors are actually responsible for raising the risk of prostate cancer.
Obese men - those whose body mass index is greater than 32.5 - are 33% more likely to die from prostate cancer.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located in front of the rectum, below the bladder and surrounding the urethra. Its main purpose is to produce fluid that transports sperm during male orgasm. According to recent estimates, between 180,000 and 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer are detected annually.
