The prostate (pros-tate) is a gland found only in men. The prostate is
about the size of a walnut. It is just below the bladder and in front
of the rectum. The tube that carries urine (the urethra) runs through
the prostate. The prostate contains cells that make some of the
seminal fluid. This fluid protects and nourishes the sperm.
Male hormones cause the prostate gland to develop in the fetus. The
prostate keeps on growing as a boy grows to manhood. 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 often
keeps on growing. This causes BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) which
can result in problems with urinating.
Most of the time, prostate cancer grows slowly. Autopsy studies show
that many older men who died of other diseases also had prostate
cancer that neither they nor their doctor were aware of. But sometimes
prostate cancer can grow and spread quickly. Even with the latest
methods, it is hard to tell which prostate cancers will grow slowly
and which will grow quickly.
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). These
changes can be either low-grade (almost normal) or high-grade
(abnormal).
If you have had a prostate biopsy that showed high-grade PIN, there is
a greater chance that there are cancer cells in your prostate. For
this reason, you will be watched carefully and may need another
biopsy.
Introduction to Prostate Cancer Kit
Being diagnosed with prostate cancer can be a life-altering
experience. It requires making some very difficult decisions about
treatments that can affect not only the life of the man diagnosed, but
also the lives of his family members in significant ways for many
years to come.
To help men and women know where to begin, the Prostate Cancer
Foundation created an Introduction to Prostate Cancer Kit, which
features

http://www.dontplayplay.com/cancer/prostate-cancer/index.html

http://www.dontplayplay.com/cancer/