The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that sits underneath a man’s bladder and wraps around the urethra. Prostate problems include infection, enlargement or cancer, but solutions and survival rates are improving.
The prostate gland’s main function is to add fluid to sperm to form semen. Although the prostate starts out small, it typically grows as a man ages. Prostate growth is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. Over time, BPH puts pressure on the urethra, leading to urinary problems.
Prostatitis is swelling of the prostate gland that is often caused by bacteria. The condition can come on quickly (acute prostatitis) and usually clears up with antibiotics. However, it can sometimes continue long term, in which case it’s called chronic prostatitis.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, affecting 1 in 7 during their lifetime. Most prostate cancer cases are diagnosed later in life.
Prostate cancer can be found with a PSA test, which measures the level of a protein called prostate specific antigen (PSA) in a man’s blood. At one time, men over age 50 were advised to have a PSA test annually. Yet this test can often produce false positive results, because PSA levels can also rise from BPH and other non-cancerous prostate conditions. Today, cancer organizations recommend that men talk to their doctor about the benefits and risks before having this test.
Prostate cancer symptoms include trouble urinating, blood in the urine, pain in the back or hips, and difficulty getting or sustaining an erection. To diagnose prostate cancer, the doctor will remove a sample of tissue during a biopsy. Once that tissue is examined, doctors assign the prostate cancer a Gleason Score and a stage, which indicate the severity and progression of the disease.
Learn about prostate cancer symptoms, what causes BPH, how to ease prostatitis, and more!
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In today’s age, the term “digital” may make you think electronic or photographic. But, alas, digital here refers to a finger, so a digital rectal exam (DRE) is an examination of your rectum with the physician’s gloved and lubricated index finger. Both men and women undergo a digital rectal exam, … Read More
The glandular cells of the prostate play an important role in reproduction, producing the fluids that help make up semen. These tiny cells also serve as the birthplace for nearly all prostate cancers. Genes in these cells slowly mutate, leading to the formation of abnormal cells. The cells proliferate and … Read More
In the fall of 2016, actor Ben Stiller revealed that he had been treated successfully for prostate cancer in 2014. Stiller credited his physician and the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test for saving his life.
His announcement comes at a time when rates of prostate cancer screening and diagnosis are on … Read More
Anyone who has been faced with the prospect of prostate cancer will encounter the phrase “Gleason score.” And what is the Gleason score? Doctors use it to help them predict the risk of how aggressive a prostate cancer may be and how likely it is to spread beyond the prostate … Read More
There are a variety of different options for treating prostate cancer and improving your prostate cancer survival rate. You and your doctor will decide which treatment regimen (or combination of regimens) is best for you, based on your age, overall health, and stage of your prostate cancer. Here, we’ll provide … Read More
What are the risk factors for prostate cancer? It’s a question that remains unanswered despite a growing body of research identifying risk factors and prevention strategies.
Scientists do know that prostate cancer symptoms occur when changes or mutations in the DNA of prostatic cells cause abnormal proliferation of those cells, resulting … Read More
Historically, a man complaining of pelvic pain, urinary problems, and other hallmark signs of prostatitis would visit his doctor and receive repeated, prolonged courses of antibiotics. The thought was that a bacterial infection was the underlying culprit. We now know that such infections occur in only a small percentage of … Read More
Until now, your prostate has given you little cause for concern. But now that you’re older, it’s commanding attention. You have benign prostatic hyperplasia, and your prostate—normally as small as a walnut—is now the size of a baseball, and it’s wreaking havoc on your lifestyle. You wake up several times … Read More
After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS)—and six cases in 10 occur in men age 65 and older.
For some men, prostate cancer can be an aggressive disease, but for most, the disease is slow growing—in fact, men with … Read More
What is erectile dysfunction? The answer is simple: An inability to consistently attain and maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse. It’s also called impotence, as the condition was known until the term erectile dysfunction, or ED, was coined in 1992.
But the answer to erectile dysfunction isn’t the same for … Read More
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