Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, at least in the United States. But the good news is that it is treatable when caught early.
There are many myths and misconceptions about this type of cancer. For example, most patients are worried about the time they need to start running tests for prostate cancer and how uncomfortable they will be. They probably don’t know that screening for prostate cancer is now reserved for some cases, and not everyone should run a PSA test.
That’s why in this article, we’ll take a look at what patients need to know about prostate cancer to avoid these and other misconceptions.
What is Prostate Cancer?
The prostate is a part of the male reproductive system. It is a gland that surrounds the urethra and supplies the sperm with nutrition. On average, the prostate weight is around 30 to 35 grams.
The prostate can enlarge over time, and the growth is caused by hormonal changes. In some cases, such growth develops without any signs. In other cases, there are uncomfortable signs and symptoms when the prostate grows. But there’s a difference between prostate growth and prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is an abnormal growth of cells that divide without control and take up nutrients, creating new blood vessels to feed and continue growing. It is a malignant growth of the prostate gland. However, unlike other types of cancer, most prostate cancers grow slowly, and not all give signs and symptoms immediately. This can make prostate cancer difficult to detect.
Prostate cancer is generally detected when a person experiences one or more of the following symptoms:
- Frequent need to urinate
- Difficulty in urinating
- Frequent nighttime urination
- Blood in the urine
- Pain in the pelvis
- Pain in the lower back