What is the prostate gland?

The prostate is a small gland found only in men. It lies below the bladder between the pubic bone and the rectum. It is shaped like a doughnut and surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis).

It is a vital part of the male reproductive system, producing semen - a secretion that nourishes and protects sperm. The prostate relies on the male hormone testosterone (the male hormone which is produced by the testes) to make it grow at puberty and help it function properly throughout adult life. Because of the location of the gland, enlargement can sometimes lead to problems in urinating as the urethra can become blocked.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer differs from most other cancers in the body, in that small deposits of cancer within the prostate are very common and may remain dormant for some time before they progress.

The annual death toll from prostate cancer in Britain has doubled in the past 20 years to 10,000 men. By the year 2018, it is set to overtake lung cancer and breast cancer to become the most commonly diagnosed male cancer. It is rare in men under 50, but after this age the incidence rises steeply, faster than any other cancer. The average age when patients are diagnosed is over 70.

What causes prostate cancer to develop?

The causes of prostate cancer are unknown, though there are some factors that are thought to increase the chances of you developing prostate cancer (see below). Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the gland grow in an uncontrolled way, causing a tumour to develop. This eventually presses on the urethra, causing the classic symptoms of needing to pass urine frequently, interrupted flow or even difficulty in urinating. As the disease progresses, cancer cells break away from the prostate gland and spread to other parts of the body, particularly the bones.

What are the risk factors for having prostate cancer?

Every day 1 in 20 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer (around 16,000 each year). The odds of developing prostate cancer escalate with age, the majority of men with the disease are over the age of 60. Prostate cancer can run in families, the more relatives who have had problems with their prostate the higher the risk that you too will suffer.

However, because prostate cancer is associated with old age it is very slow-growing, the patient will often die of other causes before his cancer ever becomes serious. Around 50% of men aged 70-80 years old have localised prostate cancer and the majority of these tumours never cause any symptoms and never become advanced cancers.

There is strong evidence of racial links with a vast majority of Afro-Caribbean men developing the disease, whilst very few Asian men develop prostate cancer. Men who eat a diet high in animal fat and protein may also increase their risk of the disease.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

The symptoms of both a benign prostate enlargement and a malignant tumour are similar. The majority of men as they get older, will suffer from a gradual enlargement of the prostate, this is not cancer and can be treated. The symptoms of prostate cancer may include any of the following:

• Difficulty in passing urine.
• Passing urine more frequently than usual, especially at night.
• A weak or interrupted stream of urine.
• A feeling that the bladder has not completely emptied.
• Painful ejaculation.
• Blood in the urine or pain on passing urine.

If you have any of the symptoms mentioned you must have them checked by your doctor.
Remember, most enlargements of the prostate are not cancer and are not life threatening, though the symptoms may be the same.

Cancer of the prostate is often a slow growing cancer, particularly in older men, and symptoms may not occur for many years. Occasionally, the first symptoms are pain in the back, hips or pelvis caused by the cancer spreading to the bones.

How is prostate cancer diagnosed?

The first two tests for diagnosing cancer of the prostate are a rectal examination and a blood test.
The blood test looks for a substance called P.S.A. (Prostate Specific Antigen). P.S.A. is a substance produced by the prostate and a small amount normally leaks into the blood. Men with cancer of the prostate tend to have more P.S.A. in their blood. However, prostate glands which are enlarged, as a result of another condition or old age can also produce more P.S.A.

The test we recommend is designed so that you can rapidly identify the presence of P.S.A. in blood. Click here for more information or to buy our prostate disorders test. Remember, this test will not diagnose prostate cancer but can give an idea of the state of the prostate gland.

There are a number of other tests that may also be done to see if you have prostate cancer. No one test on its own is conclusive. Other tests you may have include an ultrasound and a biopsy. During a biopsy a small piece of tissue is removed from the affected area for analysis under a microscope.

What treatment is available for prostate cancer?

If you are diagnosed as having prostate cancer the treatment you receive will depend on the type of cancer and if it has spread. Your age and general health will also be taken into consideration. As mentioned earlier some prostate cancers grow slowly and may not require any treatment. However, you will have have regular check-ups to make sure that the cancer hasn't started to grow or spread.

If treatment is required you may have surgery to remove the tumour, this usually involves the removal of the prostate gland. The prostate gland is not essential to life but you may suffer from impotence and incontinence (leakage of urine from the bladder) after surgery. Radiotherapy or hormone therapy are other methods of treatment available. Hormone therapy involves eliminating the effects of testosterone. It is known that testosterone helps prostate cancer grow and spread, so when deprived of it, most cancers will shrink. You may have these treatments on their own or with surgery. Your doctor will discuss all treatment options with you.

*The Check-em DVD and Website are supporting the Everyman Campaign’s work to cross out male cancers. Testicular cancer – a disease which affects men aged between 15 and 45 – has almost doubled in the last 20 years, yet if it is caught early, 95% of cases can be cured. So to save lives, the Check-em message of being aware needs to be heard loud and clear. Prostate cancer affects mainly older men and is now the number one male cancer with around 30,000 cases diagnosed every year.

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