PROSTATE DISEASES
The prostate is a gland. It helps make semen, the fluid that contains sperm. The prostate surrounds the tube that carries urine away from the bladder and out of the body. A young man's prostate is about the size of a walnut. It slowly grows larger with age. If it gets too large, it can cause problems. This is very common after age 50. The older men get, the more likely they are to have prostate trouble.
Some common problems are
Some common problems are
- Prostatitis - an infection, usually caused by bacteria
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH - an enlarged prostate, which may cause dribbling after urination or a need to go often, especially at night
- Prostate cancer - a common cancer that responds best to treatment when detected early
Prostatitis
About 50% of men will experience symptoms of Prostatitis during their lifetime, but many do not know what this condition is. Prostatitis is a general term for inflammation of the prostate. This condition can occur in men of any age. Prostatitis is not cancer, and there is no evidence that it leads to prostate cancer.
Prostatitis is often difficult to diagnose and treat. There are three different forms of Prostatitis — acute bacterial, chronic bacterial, and chronic nonbacterial — and treatment may be different for each. Chronic nonbacterial Prostatitis is the most common form of this condition, and acute bacterial Prostatitis is the least common but most severe form.
Prostatitis is often difficult to diagnose and treat. There are three different forms of Prostatitis — acute bacterial, chronic bacterial, and chronic nonbacterial — and treatment may be different for each. Chronic nonbacterial Prostatitis is the most common form of this condition, and acute bacterial Prostatitis is the least common but most severe form.
BPH or Enlarged Prostate
For men, enlargement of the prostate is a natural part of getting older. Around the age of 40, many men experience a second period of prostate growth. A strong layer of tissue surrounding the prostate prevents it from expanding outward. BPH symptoms begin as the prostate compresses inward onto the urethra, reducing or obstructing urine flow.
Because the prostate continues to grow during a man's lifetime:
Because the prostate continues to grow during a man's lifetime:
- Men over age 50 have roughly a 50% chance of developing BPH or enlarged prostate.
- By age 80, about 80% to 90% of men are diagnosed with BPH or enlarged prostate.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is defined simply as the presence of cancerous cells in the prostate. Cancerous cells (wherever they are found in the body) are the result of a genetic mutation (change). This mutation causes them to grow and reproduce much more than usual and/or not die off in a normal period of time. In many cases, these cancerous cells form growths or tumors and can spread to other parts of the body. As cancerous cells grow and spread, they can damage or interfere with the function of organs in the body, causing a variety of symptoms.
Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer is by far the most common cancer among men.
Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer is by far the most common cancer among men.
- One in every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives.
- More than 65% of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over 65.