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Prostate Cancer - Know your Enemy What is your prostate? The prostate is a gland that is the size of a walnut. It is situated below the bladder. The urethra, which is the conduit for both urine and semen, passes through the middle of the prostate. The function of the prostate is to produce seminal fluid. When ejaculation occurs the muscles of the prostate contract forcing the seminal fluid, and with it sperm, out through the penis. What is Prostate Cancer? Cancer has two distinctive features. First, it can grow in an uncontrolled way, and, secondly it can escape from the area in which it originated and invade other parts of the body. In the case of prostate cancer, if it escapes from the prostate gland it can spread to the adjacent seminal vesicles or erectile nerves. If it spreads further it can enter the blood or lymphatic systems and circulate throughout the body. Eventually these cancer cells thrive by attaching themselves to lymph nodes, bones or other organs. Many men have some cancer cells in their prostate and as they grow older the percentage of men with such cancerous cells increases. For example in the 40-49 year age group 39% of men will have some cancerous prostate cells and in the 70-79 year age group, this increases to 80%. However, not all cancer cells grow rapidly in an uncontrolled way, and men will only suffer adverse effects from prostate cancer if their cancer cells do begin to grow in an uncontrolled way. At present the NHS does not screen men for prostate cancer. It is highly likely that if they did the numbers of prostate cancers diagnosed would increase and the average age at diagnosis would decrease. But many of these cancers might not be life-threatening. For further information follow these links: http://www.prostateuk.org/prostate/prostateclinic.htm http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Prostate http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cancer-of-the-prostate http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/prostate/mortality/ http://www.pcrmp.org.uk/Real_PCRMP_Leaflet.pdf
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