What is Prostate Cancer?

When we hear the word ‘cancer’ it fills us with dread and we immediately assume we don’t have much time left. However, we also hear about men living happily with the disease for many years without prostate cancer treatment.

So what is prostate cancer and what makes it different to other cancers?

The prostate is a small gland between the penis and bladder that produces the white fluid that mixes with sperm to create semen.

We don’t know what causes cells within the prostate to become cancerous, but when they do they start to reproduce abnormally, leading to a tumor.

Unlike other more aggressive cancers, prostate cancer is usually very slow to spread. It can take around fifteen years for the tumor to spread outside of the prostate.

When you consider that 70% of prostate cancer cases occur in men over 65, many won’t experience cancer growth outside the prostate until they are in their eighties or nineties.

For these men the risks and side effects of prostate cancer treatment are probably a less appealing option than living with the disease and monitoring its progress to make sure it doesn’t become more aggressive.

Once prostate cancer does start to spread outside the prostate it becomes much more serious and life threatening. Most cancers will eventually spread to the bones and at this point they can’t be treated. Prostate cancer treatment at this stage focuses on relieving symptoms and prolonging life.

Read our page entitled What is Prostate Cancer.

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