Prostate cancer is a serious disease that affects thousands of men each year who are middle-aged or older. The prostate is a small gland found in a man’s lower abdomen. It’s located under the bladder and surrounding the urethra. The prostate is regulated by the hormone testosterone and produces seminal fluid, also known as semen. Semen is the substance containing sperm that exits the urethra during ejaculation.
When an abnormal, malignant growth of cells — which is called a tumor — forms in the prostate, it’s called prostate cancer. This cancer can spread to other areas of the body. In these cases, because the cancer is made of cells from the prostate, it’s still called prostate cancer.
Most cases of prostate cancer are a type of cancer called an adenocarcinoma. This is a cancer that grows in the tissue of a gland, such as the prostate gland.
Prostate cancer is also categorized by how fast it grows. It has two types of growths:
- aggressive, or fast growing
- nonaggressive, or slow growing
With nonaggressive prostate cancer, the tumor either doesn’t grow or grows very little over time. With aggressive prostate cancer, the tumor can grow quickly and may spread to other areas of the body, such as the bones.
There’s no known cause for prostate cancer. Like all cancers, it could be caused by many things, including a family history or exposure to certain chemicals.
Whatever the instigating factor is, it leads to cell mutations and uncontrolled cell growth in the prostate.
Who’s at risk?
While prostate cancer could occur in any man, certain factors raise your risk for the disease. These risk factors include:
- older age
- a family history of prostate cancer
- certain ethnicities or race — for instance, African American males are at greater risk of having prostate cancer
- obesity
- genetic changes
As mentioned above, age is a primary risk factor for prostate cancer. The disease occurs most often in men older than age 65. It occurs in about 1 in 14 men between the ages of 60 and 69.
Some forms of prostate cancer are nonaggressive, so you may not have any symptoms. However, advanced prostate cancer often causes symptoms.
If you have any of the following signs or symptoms, don’t hesitate to call your doctor. Some symptoms of prostate cancer can be caused by other conditions, so you’ll need an examination. They can make sure you receive the correct diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms of prostate cancer can include urinary problems, sexual problems, and pain and numbness.
Urinary problems
Urinary problems are a common symptom because the prostate is located beneath the bladder, and it surrounds the urethra. Because of this location, if a tumor grows on the prostate, it could press on the bladder or urethra and cause problems.
Urinary problems can include:
- frequent need to urinate
- a stream that’s slower than normal
- bleeding while urinating (hematuria)
Sexual problems
Erectile dysfunction may be a symptom of prostate cancer. Also called impotence, this condition makes you unable to get and keep an erection. Blood in the semen after ejaculation can also be a symptom of prostate cancer.
Pain and numbness
Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread to other areas of the body from where it first occurred. When prostate cancer metastasizes, it often spreads to the bones. This can cause pain in the following areas:
- pelvic
- back
- chest
If the cancer spreads to the spinal cord, you may lose feeling in your legs and your bladder.
While any of the above symptoms can be your first indication that you have prostate cancer, urinary symptoms are more likely than other symptoms to appear early.
It’s important to keep in mind that most of these symptoms can also be caused by other conditions that aren’t cancer. These conditions include benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis.
So, while it’s important to keep tabs on any symptoms you may have, remember that there’s a good chance they’re not caused by cancer.
That said, neither of these conditions causes blood to appear in your urine. If you have this symptom, call your doctor right away.
Blood in your urine may be caused by something other than cancer, but it’s a good idea to get it diagnosed as soon as possible.
Your doctor will likely use both the results from your PSA test and your Gleason score to help determine the stage of your prostate cancer. The stage indicates how advanced your cancer is. This information helps your doctor plan your treatment.
Another tool used in staging prostate cancer is the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TMN staging system. Like many other types of cancer, prostate cancer is staged using this system based on:
- the size or extent of the tumor
- the number of lymph nodes involved
- whether or not the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other sites or organs
Prostate cancer stages range from 1 to 4. The disease is most advanced in stage 4.
Your doctor will develop an appropriate treatment plan for your cancer based on your age, health status, and the stage of your cancer.
If the cancer is nonaggressive, your doctor may recommend watchful waiting, which is also called active surveillance. This means you’ll delay treatment but have regular checkups with your doctor to monitor the cancer.
More aggressive types of cancer may be treated with other options, such as:
- surgery
- radiation
- cryotherapy
- hormone therapy
- chemotherapy
- stereotactic radiosurgery
- immunotherapy
If your cancer is very aggressive and has metastasized, there’s a good chance it has spread to your bones.
If prostate cancer is diagnosed early and hasn’t spread from the original tumor, the outlook is usually good. Early detection and treatment are key to a positive outcome. If you think you have symptoms of prostate cancer, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor right away.
However, if the cancer advances and spreads outside of your prostate, that will affect your outlook.
There are certain risk factors for prostate cancer, such as age, that you can’t control. However, there are others you can control.
For example, quitting smoking could reduce your risk of prostate cancer, as research has shown that smoking increases your risk. Diet and exercise are also important factors that can influence your risk of prostate cancer.
Diet
Certain foods may help reduce your risk of prostate cancer, including:
- tomatoes
- cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale
- fish
- soy
- oils that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as olive oil
The evidence also suggests that certain foods may increase your risk of prostate cancer, such as:
- milk and dairy products
- saturated fat, which is found in animal products
- red meat
- grilled meat
Exercise
Exercise can likely help reduce your risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, and of dying of prostate cancer.
Exercise can also help you lose weight. This is key because research has shown obesity to be a risk factor for prostate cancer. With your doctor’s approval, aim for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
Prostate cancer is a risk for all men as they age, but if it’s caught and treated early, the outlook is generally very good. So as you get older, be sure to have open conversations with your doctor about your risk.
If you have any symptoms you think might be prostate cancer, talk to your doctor right away. And even if you don’t have symptoms, consider adopting a healthy lifestyle to decrease your risk.
A diet rich in vegetables and fish and low in full-fat dairy and red meat, paired with an exercise plan approved by your doctor, could help reduce your risk of prostate cancer, as well as boost your health overall.
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