The Prostate and Cancer

The prostate gland which is the size of a walnut is found in the male of the species and is part of his reproductive system. It is part of the system which includes the testicles to produce semen. The prostate is situated in front of the rectum just underneath the bladder. The prostate surrounds the urethra (the tube which carries urine), therefore one of the first signs and symptoms that there is anything wrong with the prostate is a difficulty in passing urine. The prostate gland is a part of a man's body that he probably never thinks about, until unfortunately something goes wrong with it. Unfortunately even living a healthy lifestyle is no guarantee that a man will not have problems with his prostate at some time in his lifetime.

The function of the prostate

The prostate gland is a complex organ which consists of millions of very small glands which are lined with fluid secreting cells. This fluid flows into thousands of ducts through up to 14-18 exits and end up eventually in the urethra.

Unfortunately if there is a problem with the prostate, it doesn't necessarily mean you have a life threatening disease, there can be a number of problems with the prostate especially as you get older and most of them can be benign. They may certainly be irritating and inconvenient, but not life threatening. However for this article, we will be discussing prostate cancer.

What Exactly Is Cancer?
 
Cancer is a problem for anyone no matter what their age or sex. Unfortunately even just the word "cancer" tends to strike terror into the hearts of many people who automatically assume if they have contracted it, they have received a death sentence.

Nowadays there are many types of cancer which can be cured as long as it is caught in time. Prostate cancer comes into this category, so it is really important that any man who discovers any problems in this area doesn't bury his head in the sand, but goes to his doctor immediately to have it checked out. Hopefully it will be a problem with a benign source, however if it is prostate cancer then the sooner it is sorted, the better.

It's important that as people who can be prone to cancer that we understand exactly what it actually is.

The human body is made up of trillions of cells which divide and reproduce themselves constantly. This is a process which allows the body to heal itself when it becomes injured. The problem with cancer starts when this process somehow goes haywire. The cells reproduce themselves in an uncontrollable manner. Because these cells are multiplying at an alarming rate, eventually they form a mass which is known as a tumor. These tumors's can be either benign or malignant, but whatever they are, they very often interfere with the body's natural processes. If the tumor is cancerous, there is the risk that small particles can break off and spread to other parts of the body, this is known as metastastic spread.

Prostate cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells have developed in the prostate gland. It usually starts on the outer part of the prostate and a lump can be felt when a rectal examination is performed. Luckily prostate cancer is a slow acting cancer, with many older men only found to be suffering after they have died of other causes. There are occasions however when it can spread quickly, so it is still important that any abnormalities are followed up quickly.

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