A disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Symptoms include pain, difficulty in urinating, erectile dysfunction and other symptoms.
A malignant tumour of the prostate gland, found especially in men over 55.
Cancer of the male prostate gland. Except for skin cancer, cancer of the prostate is the most common malignancy in American men. The most common risk factor is age. More than 70 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year are over the age of 65. African American men have a higher risk of prostate cancer than white men. In most men the disease grows very slowly. The majority of men with low-grade, early prostate cancer (confined to the gland) live a long time after their diagnosis, dying of an unrelated cause. In some men, however, the disease is very aggressive, painful, and fatal. Prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms for many years. When symptoms do occur, they may include frequent urination, especially at night; inability or difficulty urinating; painful urination or ejaculation; blood in the urine or semen; and pain in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs. Two tests can be used to detect prostate cancer in the absence of any symptoms. One is the digital rectal exam (DRE), in which a physician feels the prostate through the rectum to find hard or lumpy areas. The other is a blood test used to detect a substance made by the prostate called prostate specific antigen (PSA). Together, these tests can detect many “silent” prostate cancers that have not caused symptoms. At present, however, it is not known whether routine screening saves lives. The diagnosis of prostate cancer can be confirmed only by a biopsy. Three treatment options are generally accepted for men with localized prostate cancer: radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, and surveillance (also called watchful waiting). Radical prostatectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the entire prostate gland and nearby tissues. Sometimes lymph nodes in the pelvic area are also removed. Radical prostatectomy may be performed using a technique called nerve-sparing surgery that may prevent damage to the nerves needed for an erection.
A malignant tumor (almost always an adenocarcinoma) of the prostate gland. Other than skin cancers, it is the most common neoplasm in men. In 2008, the American Cancer Society estimated that 186,320 American men would be diagnosed with prostate cancer and that 28,660 would die as a result. Nonetheless, 93% of those diagnosed survive at least 10 years, and 77% of men with the disease survive at least 15 years.