Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men. ​​Prostate cancer is more common in older men (greater than age 50). However, most prostate cancers will not affect the length of one’s life. In other words, most men die with prostate cancer but not from it.

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More than 90 percent of prostate cancers are found when they’re still within the prostate gland. Prostate cancer can spread by extending outside of the prostate capsule (a thick covering of the prostate) or up into the seminal vesicles (two small tubelike glands that sit on top of the prostate). Sometimes prostate cancer can spread into lymph nodes in the pelvis or into bones.

 

Symptoms for prostate cancer

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Many men with prostate cancer have no noticeable symptoms. Often, the first sign of the disease is an abnormal finding on a routine screening exam. Other symptones include: a frequent urge or inability to urinate, or waking more frequently during the night to urinate, trouble starting or holding back urine flow, frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs, painful ejaculation or trouble having an erection.

 

Risk factors for prostate cancer

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The single greatest risk factor for prostate cancer is age. The disease tends to develop in men over age 50; more than 60 percent of prostate tumors are found in men 65 or older. Inherited genetic factors may be related to 5 to 10 percent of prostate cancers.

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Diagnosis for prostate cancer 

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Two tests commonly used to screen for prostate cancer are the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and the digital rectal exam (DRE). But neither test, either alone or in combination, can give you a certain diagnosis of prostate cancer. For that, we’ll need to:

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• Do a comprehensive examination

• Perform a prostate biopsy

• Carry out an evaluation of risk factors, such as your family history of the disease

• Perform diagnostic imaging studies

 

Treatment for prostate cancer

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​​More options exist for men with prostate cancer than ever before, whether you’ve just been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer, your cancer has returned after treatment, or you have more advanced disease.