THE PROSTATE: The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut between the bladder and the penis. The urethra runs through the prostate to the penis to allow urine to flow out of the body. The prostate secretes fluid that is used to protect sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes this fluid into the urethra and is combined with sperm as semen. (SOURCE: www.webmd.com)WHAT IS AN ENLARGED PROSTATE? An enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common occurrence in men as they get older. Benign means that the enlargement is not caused by cancer, infection or any other unnatural factors. As many as 50 percent of men will experience symptoms of enlarged prostate by age 60 and 90 percent by age 85. Doctors are not sure why enlargement of the prostate occurs, but one theory is that it occurs due to the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which aides in the initial stages of prostatic growth. As men get older, DHT may continue to cause the prostate to grow after it has reached full size. (SOURCE: www.nafc.org)
FACTS ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER: Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death in men of all ages from cancer. It is also the most common cause of death of men from cancer over the age of 75. Below are factors that put men at higher risk of prostate cancer:
Men over the age of 60
African-American men are most prone to prostate cancer
Men with a family history of prostate cancer
Men who abuse alcohol
Farmers
Men who eat a diet high in fat, especially animal fat
(SOURCE: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
PROSTATE CANCER PREVENTION: Knowing the risk factors for prostate cancer and getting tested are the best ways to help prevent prostate cancer. Eating fewer calories, watching fat intake and maintaining a healthy weight will also help in prostate cancer prevention. There are also other actions that can be taken such as not smoking, maintaining stress levels and eating broccoli, which all can help in the prevention of prostate cancer. (SOURCE: www.pcf.org)
WARNING SIGNS: Doctor Ian Thompson says confusing symptoms of an enlarged prostate with signs of prostate cancer is a mistake a lot of men make. "Now we know that they're generally unrelated," says Doctor Thompson, who is the Cancer Director at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
He conducted a historic decade long study of almost 19,000 men and found no correlation between symptoms of an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. Thompson says his findings go against several national cancer groups who urge men with urination troubles to get checked for prostate cancer. He says don't wait for urinary symptoms. He advises men to talk with their doctor about prostate cancer around age 50. If it's in your family or you're African American, that conversation should start ten years earlier. "The vast majority of prostate cancers have no symptoms until they spread," warns Dr. Thompson
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