1. PROSTATE CANCER

What Is Prostate Cancer?
Although several other cell types are found in the prostate, over 99% of prostate cancers develop from the glandular cells. The medical term for a cancer that starts in glandular cells is adenocarcinoma. Because other types of prostate cancer are so rare, if you have prostate cancer, it is almost certain to be adenocarcinoma.

Most prostate cancers grow very slowly. Autopsy studies show that many elderly men who died of other diseases also had a prostate cancer that neither they nor their doctor were aware of. Some prostate cancers, however, can grow and spread quickly.

Many doctors believe that prostate cancer begins with a condition called prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). In this condition there are precancerous changes in the microscopic appearance (the size, shape, or the rate at which they multiply) of prostate gland cells. This condition begins to appear in men in their 20’s and by the time they reach 50, almost 50% of men have PIN. Cancer may occur about 10 to 20 years after the PIN develops. PIN can be either low grade or high grade. If you have high-grade PIN, cancer is likely to develop and your condition should be watched carefully.

What Causes Prostate Cancer?
It is not known yet exactly what causes prostate cancer. There may be a link to a certain genes that causes some men to get prostate cancer. Genes are the basic units of heredity. Having certain genes in the family can result in a higher risk of getting prostate cancer, but these genetic changes appear to be linked to only about 10% of prostate cancers.

Certain risk factors are linked to prostate cancer. A risk factor is something that increases a person's chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors, such as diet, can be controlled. Others, like a person's age or race, can't be changed. While all men are at risk for prostate cancer, the factors listed below can increase the chances of having the disease.

• Age: the chance of getting prostate cancer goes up with age.
• Race: for unknown reasons, prostate cancer is more common among African-American men than among white men.
• Diet: a diet high in fat may play a part in causing prostate cancer.
• Family: men with close family members who have had prostate cancer are more likely to get prostate cancer themselves.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer has no symptoms in the early stages. As the malignancy spreads, it may constrict the urethra and cause urinary problems. Later-stage symptoms typically include: frequent urination, especially at night; weak urinary stream; inability to urinate; interruption of urinary stream (stopping and starting); pain or burning during urination; and blood in the urine. A sudden onset of constant pain in one or more bones lasting at least two weeks is symptomatic of advanced prostate cancer This chronic pain occurs most often in the spine and sometimes flares in the pelvis, the lower back, the hips, or the bones of the upper legs. It may be accompanied by significant weight loss.

Keys to Prevention
It is recommended that men at high risk begin annual prostate cancer screenings at age 40, and that all other men begin at age 50.

Because the exact cause of prostate cancer is not known, medical experts can't say if it is possible to prevent most cases of the disease. Since a high-fat diet may be linked to prostate cancer, the American Cancer Society suggests a diet low in animal fat and high in vegetables, fruits, and grains. These guidelines provide an overall healthful approach to eating that also helps lower the risk for some other types of cancer. Tomatoes, grapefruit, and watermelon are rich in a substance (lycopenes) that helps prevent damage to DNA and may help lower prostate cancer risk.

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