WHAT IS THE PROSTATE AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
The prostate is a small gland located at the bottom of the bladder, surrounding the topmost section of the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the bladder. It produces prostatic fluid, and it is connected to the seminal vesicles, which produce fluid that mixes with the prostatic fluid to form semen.
WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER?
Prostate cancer cells grow on top of one another, forming a tumor. Cancer cells can also break away from the prostate and travel throughout the body, attaching themselves to other tissues and continue to grow - a process called metastasis.
WHAT CAUSES PROSTATE CANCER?
No one knows the exact cause. What we do know is certain risk factors exist that may increase the chances of developing prostate cancer.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS?
The strongest risk factor is age. The disease is rare in men younger than 40, but the chances of getting it increase sharply as a man ages. If a member of a man's immediate family (like a father or brother) has had prostate cancer, his risk is higher than average. Race also plays a role too. Prostate cancer is more common in African American men.