Understanding the
PathSophysiology of Prostate
cancer
What is prostate cancer?
The prostate is a gland found only in
men. The prostate is just below the
bladder and in front of the rectum. It is
about the size of a walnut. The tube that
carries urine (the urethra) runs through
the prostate. The prostate contains cells
that make some of the fluid (semen) that
protects and nourishes the sperm.
The prostate begins to develop before birth
and keeps on growing until a man reaches
adulthood. Male hormones (called androgens)
cause this growth. If male hormone levels are
low, the prostate gland will not grow to full size.
In older men, though, the part of the prostate
around the urethra may keep on growing. This
causes BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
which can lead to problems passing urine.
BPH is a problem that must be treated, but it is
not cancer.
Prostate cancer
There are several types of cells in the
prostate, but nearly all prostate cancers
start in the gland cells. This kind of
cancer is known as adenocarcinoma.
The rest of the information here refers
only to prostate adenocarcinoma.
Most of the time, prostate cancer grows
slowly. Autopsy studies show that many
older men (and even younger men) who
died of other diseases also had prostate
cancer that never caused a problem
during their lives. These studies showed
that as many as 7 to 9 out of 10 men had
prostate cancer by age 80. But neither
they nor their doctors even knew they had
it.
Pre-cancerous changes of the prostate
Some doctors believe that prostate cancer begins
with very small changes in the size and shape of
the prostate gland cells. These changes are known
as PIN (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia). Almost
half of all men have PIN by the time they reach age
50. In PIN, there are changes in how the prostate
gland cells look under the microscope, but the cells
are basically still in place -- they don't look like
they've gone into other parts of the prostate (like
cancer cells would). These changes can be either
low-grade (almost normal) or high-grade
(abnormal).
Pathophysiology of prostate cancer
(A Movie Clip)
PROSTATE CANCER
RISK FACTORS
Prostate cancer is a disease that affects
the prostate gland in men. The prostate
is a gland in males that is involved in the
production of semen. It is located
between the bladder and the rectum.
The normal prostate gland is the size of
a walnut and surrounds the urethra, the
tube that carries urine from the bladder.
It is estimated that 1 in ever 6 males
will develop prostate cancer in their
lifetime. There are known risk factors
for prostate development and more
research is being conducted. Just
being a man puts males at risk. A
single cause for the disease has not
yet been identified.
Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer
Age
As men get older, the risk factor for
developing prostate cancer increases
naturally. The chance of developing the
disease dramatically increases at the
age of 55.
Race
The risk of prostate cancer is dramatically
higher among blacks, intermediate among
whites, and lowest among native Japanese.
However, this increase in risk may be due to
other factors associated with race. Studies
have shown a link between levels of
testosterone and prostate cancer risk, with
black men having the highest levels.
Diet
Many studies suggest that a diet high in
saturated fat may contribute to prostate
cancer. Studies are being conducted to
further prove this theory.
Family History
Genetics can play a role in whether a
man develops prostate cancer. It is
estimated that up to 10% of cases
diagnosed are due to a genetic mutation
that has been passed down