The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut, that is only present in men.
It is located in the pelvis just below the bladder and surrounds the upper urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder; semen during ejaculation; and out through your penis).
One of the main functions of the prostate gland is to produce and store semen.
The location of prostate gland makes its diseases often affect urination, ejaculation, and rarely defecation.
Growing older raises your risk of prostate problems.
The three most common prostate problems are: 1.
Prostate Inflammation (caused by infections) 2.
Enlarged prostate (BPH, or benign pro-static hyperplasia) 3.
Prostate cancer One of these changes does not lead to another.
For example, having prostate inflammation or an enlarged prostate does not increase your risk of prostate cancer.
Although, it is also possible for you to have more than one of these conditions at a time.
Enlarged prostate An enlarged prostate means that the gland has grown bigger.
Prostate enlargement happens to majority of men as they get older.
The growth of the gland can press on the urethra and cause urination and bladder problems.
An enlarged prostate is often referred to as benign pro-static hyperplasia (BPH) or benign pro-static obstruction (an overgrowth of cells of the prostate gland that blocks the flow of urine, and making it difficult to pass urine).
It is not cancer, and it does not increase your risk for prostate cancer.
All man over the age of 50 (or 45 if you have a family history of prostate problems) can ask their doctor for a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, to be sure of their status.
Causes of enlarged prostate The actual cause of prostate enlargement is unknown.
But factors associated with aging and the testicles themselves may play a role in the growth of the gland.
Men who have had their testicles removed at a young age do not develop BPH.
Similarly, if the testicles are removed after a man develops BPH, the prostate begins to shrink in size.
Symptoms of enlarged prostate Less than half of all men with enlarged prostate have symptoms of the disease, which include: 1.
Straining to urinate 2.
Inability to urinate (urinary retention) 3.
Incomplete emptying of your bladder 4.
Incontinence (involuntary urination) 5.
Needing to urinate many times per night 6.
Burning pain during urination or bloody urine (these may indicate infection) 7.
Slowed or delayed start of the urinary stream 8.
Dribbling at the end of urinating 9.
Strong and sudden urge to urinate 10.
Weak urine stream Prostate cancer The prostate is made up of a number of small glands which produce about twenty percent of the fluid constituting semen.
In prostate cancer, the cells of these prostate glands undergo mutation (sudden change in structure and function) into cancer cells.
The evaluation of prostate cancer is best done by determining the stage, or how far the cancer has spread.
Knowing the stage helps to define prognosis (a prediction of the course of a disease) and is useful when selecting therapies.
The most common system of determining the stages is the TNM system (Tumor/Nodes/Metastasis): 1.
The size of the tumor 2.
The number of involved lymph nodes 3.
The presence of any other metastasis (the spreading of a disease to another part of the body) The most important distinction made by any staging system is whether or not the cancer is still confined to the prostate.
Several tests can be used to look for evidence of spread.
These include computed tomography used to evaluate spread within the pelvis, bone scans to look for spread to the bones, and magnetic resonance imaging to carefully evaluate the pro-static capsule and the seminal vesicles.