Prostate Cancer: An Outline
The prostate is a small gland that only men have. It is generally about the size of a walnut. The prostate is located under the bladder and in front of the rectum. As the prostate is close to the rectum, a doctor can feel it during a digital rectal exam. The prostate makes and stores fluid that is part of semen, and this fluid is released from a man during ejaculation. The prostate is signaled to do its job by the male hormone testosterone, which can influence the behavior of the prostate gland and prostate cancer. The prostate wholly encircles the tube that carriers urine from the bladder to the penis, called the urethra. If the prostate enlarges, it can block the flow of urine from the bladder making it difficult for a man to urinate.
Prostate Cancer: Introduction
Prostate cancer happens when cells in the prostate begin to grow out of control and can then invade neighboring tissues or spread all over the body. Large collections of this out of control tissue are called tumors. Nevertheless, some tumors are not in reality cancer since they cannot spread or threaten someone's life. These are called benign tumors. The tumors that can spread all over the body or plague nearby tissues are considered cancer and are called malignant tumors. Generally, prostate cancer is very slow growing. Yet, sometimes it will grow quickly and spread to nearby lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small, pea-sized pieces of tissue that filter and clean lymph, a clear liquid waste product. If prostate cancer has spread to ones lymph nodes when it is diagnosed, it means that there is higher chance that it has spread to other areas of the body.
Every man over the age of 45 is at risk for prostate cancer.........
