A Look At The Prostate Gland And Its Effect On Male Life

The prostate gland is a reasonably small gland that is about the size of a walnut and sits under the bladder and just in front of the rectum. A very important gland, the prostate manufactures the liquid which helps carry sperm.

A significant problem which can arise with the prostate gland is prostate cancer which is a life-threatening condition that currently strikes approximately ten percent of all men and is the second most common cause of cancer related death in men nowadays.

So how does this condition start?

Prostate cancer starts life as a malignant tumor growing in the prostate gland which, if left untreated, is likely to spread over time into the nearby tissue and organs and then into the bone and lymph nodes.

Just what are the risk factors involved?

Nearly three-quarters of those suffering from this disease are over the age of 65.

Men with family members like a grandfather or father who have had cancer of the prostate are up to eleven times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives.

The death rate in men with this condition rises with weight and is especially high in obese men.

Men of Caucasian decent are more than twice as likely to develop this disease than men of African decent.

Is there anything I can do to stop myself from contracting prostate cancer?

There is really nothing you can do to stop yourself from developing this disease although some people are convinced that eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk from this particular form of cancer. presently there is little if any substantive evidence to support this view.

Diagnosing prostate cancer.

There are several tests available including the PSA test, the digital rectal exam and a biopsy.

The prostate specific antigen test measures 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 a marker for possible problems that should be investigated further.

The digital rectal exam requires a physician to wear a glove and place a lubricated finger into the anus to feel the prostate gland looking for signs of enlargement or irregularity.

In the case of a prostate biopsy your doctor will take a number of small tissue samples from the prostate which will then be studied under a microscope for signs of abnormal cells.