Prostate Cancer Overview

Prostate Cancer

The prostate is a gland in men located in the pelvis, under the bladder and in front of the rectum. A healthy prostate is about the size of a walnut. Because of the prostate's location, the flow of urine can be slowed or stopped if the prostate grows too large.

Except for skin cancer, cancer of the prostate is the most common type of cancer in American men. In most men with this disease, the cancer grows very slowly. If it hasn’t spread to other parts of the body, the majority of men live a long time after their diagnosis.

Who is at risk for prostate cancer?

An important risk factor is age, more than three out of every 10 men diagnosed with Prostate Cancer are over the age of 65
African-American men have a much higher risk of prostate cancer than non-Hispanic and Hispanic white men
Genetic factors also appear to play a role, particularly for families with men who are diagnosed with it under the age of 60
The risk of prostate cancer rises with the number of close relatives who have the disease
Often, men with prostate cancer have no symptoms