{"id":408,"date":"2017-06-27T07:38:47","date_gmt":"2017-06-26T23:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rachmd.com\/?p=408"},"modified":"2020-04-23T14:17:16","modified_gmt":"2020-04-23T06:17:16","slug":"prostate-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciencerach.com\/prostate-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Facts You Should Know about Prostate Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Diagram_showing_prostate_cancer_pressing_on_the_urethra\"
Diagram showing prostate cancer pressing on the urethra
By Cancer Research UK (Original email from CRUK) [CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>], via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

I. What is Prostate Cancer?<\/h2>\n

Prostate cancer is a medical condition that affects the prostate gland. Because only males have prostate glands, it also goes that the condition only affects men.<\/p>\n

The condition starts in the gland cells. As with other types of cancer, this is classified into different stages, depending on the sizes of the tumors, progress of the condition, and how far the tumors have spread.<\/p>\n

II. Prognosis<\/h2>\n

What makes prostate cancer somewhat different from other forms of cancer is that it has a rather slow progress.<\/p>\n

In fact, according to Medical News Today<\/a>, a lot of those who have prostate cancer do not even know they have the condition and later die of old age. It is only when autopsy is done to determine the actual cause of death that the cancer is detected.<\/p>\n

Doctors have recently made a rough estimate, claiming that nearly 50% of men over the age of 50 actually have Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) or the so-called first stages of prostate cancer. In this condition, the cancer cells are present but they remain in the prostate gland.<\/p>\n

But there are always exceptions to the rule. There have been a number of reported cases of aggressive types of prostate cancer. In such cases, the cancer cells spread quickly and could lead to death if not treated soon enough.<\/p>\n

Still, the overall prognosis for prostate cancer is good.<\/p>\n

III. Causes<\/h2>\n

According to Mayo Clinic<\/a>, doctors still have not found the actual cause of prostate cancer but have already established that this condition starts when cells within the prostate gland have become abnormal. The mutations in the cell\u2019s DNA cause it to grow and divide rapidly, faster than normal cells would.<\/p>\n

While other cells die off, the abnormal cells live on and develop into a tumor. These abnormal cells can invade nearby tissues and could even spread to other parts of the body.<\/p>\n

IV. Risk Factors<\/h2>\n

a. Age<\/h3>\n

Age is the primary risk factor for this condition, especially because most of those diagnosed with prostate cancer are over 50 years old.<\/p>\n

b. STDs<\/h3>\n

In a research done by the University of Michigan Health System, men who have had gonorrhoea are more likely to develop prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

c. Genetics<\/h3>\n

Based on a number of studies, it has been shown that genetics plays a huge role in determining whether you will develop prostate cancer or not. For example, the condition is more common and more deadly in African Americans than Caucasians, according to Medical News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

V. Symptoms<\/h2>\n

As with other types of cancer, there were no early warning signs of the early stages of prostate cancer. But as the tumor grows, it affects the prostate gland and lead to the following symptoms:<\/p>\n