What You Need to Know About Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the one of most common type of cancer in American men. Prostate cancer develops from the cells of the prostate gland. Its most common form, occurring in almost 99% of cases, is called prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Many men also develop a condition known as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), which is a change in the microscopic appearance of prostate epithelial cells. PIN should be monitored on a yearly basis because it may lead to the development of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer grows relatively slowly, but can eventually spread to other parts of the body.

Risk Factors All men should be aware of risk factors for developing prostate cancer. While the exact cause of the disease is unknown, research has identified various factors that contribute to a person’s likelihood of developing prostate cancer.

Age—The risk increases after age 50.
Race—African-American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men.
Genetics—The chance of getting the disease is more than doubled if a close relative had prostate cancer.
Being obese or overweight

Signs and Symptoms Like most other forms of cancer, early detection of prostate cancer is the key to saving lives. There are often few symptoms in the early stages. The following are some possible early warning signs of the disease:

Slowing or weakening of the urinary stream
The need to urinate more often

When the cancer becomes more advanced,symptoms become more prevalent. Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include:

Blood in the urine
Impotence
Pain in the pelvis, spine, hips or ribs

Survival Rate

Survival rates depend on the treatment performed and whether or not the cancer has spread. The survival rate for men whose cancer has not spread beyond the prostate is almost 100%. Almost 100% of all men with prostate cancer survive at least five years,and 98% survive at least 10 years.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. For further information, please consult a medical professional.