The prostate is normally about 3 cm long (slightly more than 1 inch) and lies at the neck of the bladder and in front of the rectum.

The prostate surrounds the urethra, which is a tubular structure that carries sperm and urine out of the penis.

It produces a thin, milky fluid that is added to the sperm at the time of ejaculation.

Older men often have an enlarged prostate, which is a noncancerous condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) that causes urinary symptoms.
Cancer occurs when normal cells undergo a transformation in which they grow and multiply without normal controls.

As the cells multiply, they form a mass called a tumor.

Tumors are cancerous only if they are malignant. This means that they invade neighboring tissues because of their uncontrolled growth.

They may also travel to remote organs via the bloodstream.

This process of invading and spreading to other organs is called metastasis.

Tumors overwhelm surrounding tissues by invading their space and taking the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive and function.
Almost all prostate cancers arise from the secretory glandular cells in the prostate. Cancer arising from a glandular cell is known as adenocarcinoma. Therefore, almost all prostatic cancers are prostatic adenocarcinomas.
In the United States, cancer of the prostate is a common malignant cancer in men, second only to lung cancer. About 200,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, and about 30,000 men die of the disease each year.

Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system

Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Most men with prostate cancer have no symptoms. This is particularly true of early prostate cancer.

• Most prostate cancers are discovered incidentally when a digital rectal exam is performed.
• A digital rectal exam is part of a thorough regular health examination. Digital refers to finger.
• During the digital rectal exam, the examiner inserts a gloved and lubricated finger in the rectum to feel the prostate for abnormalities.

Symptoms usually appear when the tumor causes some degree of urinary blockage at the bladder neck or the urethra.

• The usual symptoms include difficulty in starting and stopping the urinary stream, increase in frequency of urination, and painwhile urinating.
• The urinary stream may be diminished (urinary retention), or it may simply dribble out.
• Even after urination, there is a sense of bladder fullness because the bladder has not been fully emptied.

Less common symptoms are blood in the urine (hematuria), painful ejaculation, orimpotence (inability to have an erection).

• These 3 symptoms are uncommon in early stages of the disease. They usually occur when the cancer is advanced.
• As the cancer advances to cause a greater blockage, bladder function may deteriorate further.
• Men with such advanced cancers sometimes experience recurring urinary tractinfections.

Despite these symptoms, many men do not seek medical care until the cancer has spread. Symptoms of metastatic disease include fatigue, malaise, and weight loss. Spread to the bones causes deep bone pain, especially in the hips and back, and bone fractures from weakening of the bone.

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options:

Prostate Seed Implant – Minimally invasive surgery lasts 1-2 hours with a possible overnight stay; most return to normal activities in a few days.

Salvage Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy is administered orally, or by a computerized pump, or by frequent injections at a doctor’s office.

Minimally Invasive Surgery – Cryosurgery takes about 2 hours with a possible overnight admission.

Shrinking the Prostate – Surgical castration patients return home the day of the surgery. Treatment is given orally or by injection.

Radiation Treatment – Radiation therapy generally requires 5 treatments per week over 6-8 weeks.

Prostate Removal – Length of prostatectomy surgeries, recovery times, and hospital stays vary according to specific prostatectomy procedure.

Monitoring and Care – Expectant therapy includes regular visits to a doctor for prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests and digital rectal exams.