A Look At The Prostate And The Effect It Can Have On Male Life
The prostate is a reasonably small gland that is approximately the size of a walnut and is situated under the bladder and in front of the rectum. An important gland, the prostate produces the fluid that helps to carry male sperm.
A very significant problem which can and frequently does strike the prostate is prostate cancer which is a life-threatening condition which presently strikes roughly one man in ten and is the second most common cause of cancer death in men today.
So just how does this condition begin?
Prostate cancer begins as a malignant tumor in the prostate gland which, if left untreated, is likely to spread into neighboring tissue and organs and then into the lymph nodes and bone.
What are the risk factors involved when it comes to contracting prostate cancer?
Nearly three-quarters of those affected with with disease are over the age of 65.
Men who have family members such as a grandfather or father who have contracted cancer of the prostate are 11 times more likely to contract prostate cancer at some point in their lives.
The death rate in men with this condition rises with weight and is especially high in men who are obese.
Caucasian men are more than twice as likely to develop this disease than those of African decent.
Is there anything I can do to prevent myself from contracting prostate cancer?
In reality there is nothing which you can do to prevent yourself from getting this condition although some people are convinced that eating a healthy diet can lower your risk from this particular form of cancer. At the moment there is little if any evidence to support this.
How is prostate cancer diagnosed?
There are a number of different tests available including the PSA test, a digital rectal exam and a biopsy.
The prostate specific antigen (PSA) test is a blood test which detects the level of a prostate specific antigen in the bloodstream. High prostate specific antigen levels do not mean that you have prostate cancer but are an indication of a possible problem that should be investigated further.
The digital rectal examination requires a doctor to put on a glove and insert a lubricated finger into the anus to feel the prostate for enlargement or irregularity.
A biopsy means the doctor will take several tissue samples from the prostate gland which will then be taken to a lab where they are checked under a microscope for signs of abnormal cells.
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