Important Information That Every Man Should Know About Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease that only affects men, as the prostate gland is only found in men. It's located below the bladder, just in front of the rectum, and is about the size of a walnut. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder, and it passes through the prostate gland. The gland is also crucial in a man's reproductive ability, because it contains cells the supply seminal fluid. This is the fluid that nourishes and protects the sperm. If the prostate gland fails to provide seminal fluids, then the fertility of male sperm cells is compromised.

As a boy grows into a man, the prostate grows as well. The amount of growth is dependent on the male hormones that feed the prostate. If the level of male hormones is low, then the prostate won't be able to grow to its full size. It's also possible, mostly in older men, for the section of the prostate that surrounds the urethra to continue to grow, and this causes a condition known as BPH or benign prostatic hyperplasia. Because of the pressure on the urethra from the enlarged prostate, BPH causes problems with urination. It can be quite an uncomfortable condition, but it doesn't post any serious health threat to the sufferer.

Prostate cancer, on the other hand, can be fatal if left untreated or discovered too late. The prostate gland contains a variety of cell types, however the gland cells are where almost all prostate cancers originate. This is a slow growing cancer, and is known as prostate adenocarcinoma. It's not unusual for older men to have had this type of cancer for years, and not even know. It's not unknown for an older man to die and have an autopsy done, only to discover he had prostate cancer. It's possible for prostate cancer to be present for an extended period, and yet the sufferer may not display any of the common symptoms such as problems with urinating.

A great deal of research has been done into the causes of prostate cancer, but nobody really knows exactly how or why prostate cancer starts. Some doctors believe that tiny, often undetectable changes in the shape and size of the prostate glands are the beginning of prostate cancer. Where this type of change is detected in the prostate gland, it's referred to as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, or PIN. There are two levels of PIN - low grade (close to normal) or high grade. Any high-grade level of PIN is regarded as abnormal. If a biopsy shows the presence of high grade PIN, it's necessary to conduct further tests, as this could mean that there are cancer cells present in your prostate. Early detection is just as critical in prostate cancer as it is with most types of cancer, so it's important that further tests are conducted immediately.

Most of the time prostate cancer grows very slowly, but that's not always the case. Prostate cancer has been known to spread very quickly. There is still no way of knowing which types of cancer cells are likely to grow quickly and which slowly, even with all our modern technology. Deciding what makes some cancer cells grow faster than others is a question that still remains unanswered. It's also the case that most cancer cases are unique because the individual with the cancer is unique, and so care and management can vary enormously between patients.

For more important information regarding prostate cancer to include prostate cancer symptoms, prostate cancer treatment and prostate cancer diagnostic testing visit OnlineProstateHealthGuide.com located at http://www.onlineprostatehealthguide.com