Prostate Cancer Risk

8/7/2019 Prostate Cancer Risk

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Understanding the

PathSophysiology of Prostate

cancer


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What is prostate cancer?

The prostate is a gland found only in

men. The prostate is just below the

bladder and in front of the rectum. It is

about the size of a walnut. The tube that

carries urine (the urethra) runs through

the prostate. The prostate contains cells

that make some of the fluid (semen) thatprotects and nourishes the sperm.


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The prostate begins to develop before birthand keeps on growing until a man reachesadulthood. Male hormones (calledandrogens) cause this growth. If male

hormone levels are low, the prostate glandwill not grow to full size. In older men,though, the part of the prostate around theurethra may keep on growing. This causesBPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) whichcan lead to problems passing urine. BPH isa problem that must be treated, but it is notcancer.


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Prostate cancer


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There are several types of cells in the

prostate, but nearly all prostate cancers

start in the gland cells. This kind of

cancer is known as adenocarcinoma.

The rest of the information here refers

only to prostate adenocarcinoma.


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Most of the time, prostate cancer growsslowly. Autopsy studies show that manyolder men (and even younger men) who

died of other diseases also had prostatecancer that never caused a problemduring their lives. These studies showedthat as many as 7 to 9 out of 10 men

had prostate cancer by age 80. Butneither they nor their doctors even knewthey had it.


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Pre-cancerous changes of theprostate


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Some doctors believe that prostate cancerbegins with very small changes in the size andshape of the prostate gland cells. Thesechanges are known as PIN (prostatic

intraepithelial neoplasia). Almost half of allmen have PIN by the time they reach age 50.In PIN, there are changes in how the prostategland cells look under the microscope, but thecells are basically still in place -- they don't

look like they've gone into other parts of theprostate (like cancer cells would). Thesechanges can be either low-grade (almostnormal) or high-grade (abnormal).


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Pathophysiology of prostate

cancer(A Movie Clip)


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Prostate cancer is a disease that affectsthe prostate gland in men. The prostate

is a gland in males that is involved in the

production of semen. It is located

between the bladder and the rectum.The normal prostate gland is the size of

a walnut and surrounds the urethra, the

tube that carries urine from the bladder.


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It is estimated that 1 in ever 6 males

will develop prostate cancer in theirlifetime. There are known risk factors

for prostate development and more

research is being conducted. Justbeing a man puts males at risk. A

single cause for the disease has not

yet been identified.


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Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer


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Race

The risk of prostate cancer is dramaticallyhigher among blacks, intermediate among

whites, and lowest among nativeJapanese. However, this increase in riskmay be due to other factors associatedwith race. Studies have shown a linkbetween levels of testosterone and

prostate cancer risk, with black men havingthe highest levels.


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Diet

Many studies suggest that a diet high in

saturated fat may contribute to prostatecancer. Studies are being conducted to

further prove this theory.


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Family History

Genetics can play a role in whether a

man develops prostate cancer. It isestimated that up to 10% of cases

diagnosed are due to a genetic mutation

that has been passed down


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Documents

Prostate Cancer Risk