Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men in the world. African-American men are most at risk for developing prostate cancer, while Asian men have been shown to be least at risk. Prostate cancer develops when the normal healthy cells of the prostate begin to mutate and multiply at a rapid rate. The growth of mutated prostate cells can begin to cause urinary, rectal, or sexual problems. However, most of these symptoms do not show until the cancer is much more advanced.

Prostate cancer is a slow growing cancer that many men, late in life, have and may not even know it. When autopsies were done on several men of all different races who died later in life from causes other than prostate cancer, doctors found that thirty percent of men in their fifties actually had prostate cancer as well. The same study showed that eighty percent of men in their seventies also had prostate cancer. Risks for prostate cancer as usually related to age, family history, genetics and diet.

While little is known about what actually causes prostate cancer, plenty is known about how to treat it. There are several treatment options including surgery and radiation. Radiation is the most common treatment for prostate cancer. However, the decision to treat or watch the cancer is a delicate one. Some of the risks may far out weigh the benefits of treatment if the patient is of advanced age and already in declining health. Statistics show that most men diagnosed with prostate cancer will most likely live a normal life and pass away from something other than the cancer itself. The good news is that if the doctor and patient both agree that treatment is necessary, there is a success rate of over ninety percent.