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The prostate tends to swell in size as a man ages; this is called "Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy" or"BPH"
for short. The enlarged prostate may press upon the urethra and restrict urine outflow from the bladder, causing small frequent
urinations ("frequency"), dribbling urine, and incomplete bladder emptying ("post- void residual"). Medications
like Prescore and Hytrin may help alleviate these problems without surgery. If medications fail, a "Tans Urethral Resection
of Prostate" ("TARP") may be done to chip away the swollen prostate tissue and decompress the urethra, to reestablish
easy urination. The prostate may become infected ("prostatitis") or develop calcium "stones" which lead
to BPH type symptoms, or develop frank cancer . However, any prostate problem is rare in a man younger than 50 years old.
What is Prostate Cancer?
The prostate is made up of many individual cells, which work together in harmony. Normally these cells divide quickly
to make new cells, and grow the prostate, in womb life, early childhood, and through male puberty. In adulthood, the cells
only divide to replace those lost to injury, disease or old age. The division of cells to produce new ones is under tight
control by the "genes" within each cell. These genes are made up of "DNA", and if it becomes damaged,
the cell may start dividing out of control. Prostate cancer starts in a single cell which has become abnormal. This cells
produces millions, and eventually billions, of copies of itself. The copies are called "clones." These clones fail
to function as normal prostate tissue, but instead divert resources from healthy cells to fuel their own growth. When there
are about 1 billion cells, they form a clump, or "tumor" 1/2 inch across. A "tumor" merely means a swelling,
it can be caused by infection, inflammation, cancer or whatever. If a tumor only grows in it's local area (even very large)
but does not have the capacity to spread to distant body areas, it is called "benign" and is not cancer. If, however,
the tumor has the ability to spread to distant body areas, it is called "malignant" and this is cancer. The actual
process of spread is called "metastasis", and can occur to any area of the body. This is what makes cancer so dangerous.
How Common is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, in the U.S.A, with 220,000 new cases. It is the second leading cause
of cancer death in men, killing about 43,000 men per year in the U.S.A. Although the deadliness of certain prostate cancers
is obvious, it is also important to note that only about 5% of men with prostate cancer actually die from it, instead dying
with it . Most often, some other "co-morbid" condition like heart attack or lung cancer kills the patient long before
prostate cancer would. As many as 80% of men over age 80 years can be shown to have some trace of cancer in their prostates!
The average patient is 65 years old at time of detection. The aggressiveness of prostate cancer is variable, and each man
must understand the nature of his particular disease to make wise decisions about it. In general, Black men get prostate cancer
more often than White men in the U.S.A, but Blacks in Africa have a low risk. Asian men have a low risk of prostate cancer.
What Causes, or Increases the Risk for Prostate Cancer?
As for all cancers, the exact reason why one man gets prostate cancer and another does not remains unknown . However,
there are some associations, called "risk factors", that seem to increase the chances a man will develop it in the
U.S.A:
1) Male Sex (since only males have a prostate), Black, older than age 60.
2) Family History of prostate cancer in father or uncles.
3) Multiple Sex Partners, a transmitted virus may be a factor.
4) High Testosterone Levels, the "sex hormone" is low in Asians, high in Blacks!
5) Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy increases risk 4 times (or chance of detection?).
6) Exposure to high dietary fat, cadmium metal.
*** Cigarettes and Alcohol do not increase the risk for getting prostate cancer.
Is Prostate Cancer Preventable?
Having only one sex partner and lowering dietary fat may help. Also, having one's testicles cut off ("bilateral orchiectomy")
at a young age will reduce the risk to nearly zero (eunuchs don't get it) but this is not advised. The truth is, there isn't
much you can do to prevent prostate cancer; the key is to recognize it's existence and characteristics early.
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