What Is Prostate Cancer?

What is prostate cancer? You may have heard this type of cancer discussed but many people do not know what the prostate gland is or how cancer affects it. This is a form of malignant tumor which develops from cells of the prostate gland in males. As it grows it can invade surrounding organs and may eventually metastasize (spread) to distant tissues in the body.

The prostate gland is a gland in the reproductive system that occurs only in males. It is a roughly walnut-sized organ that envelops the base of the bladder and surrounds the first part of the urethra (the tube connecting the bladder to the opening at the end of the penis which acts as the conduit for both urine and semen). This gland normally produces a secretion which is secreted into the urethra and is part of the seminal fluid, the fluid that accompanies and supports the sperm in semen.

Because only men have prostates, women cannot develop prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, being diagnosed in close to 200,000 men a year in the United States. Although it affects many men, as many as 1 in 6, it is only responsible for death in a much smaller number (approximately 1 in 30). It is one of the top causes of cancer deaths in men in the US.

For more details on prostate cancer, including its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatments, return to the Prostate Cancer section for links to more information.