What is Prostate Cancer?Outside of skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect American males. It is also the third leading cause of death from cancer in male cancer patients. The prostate gland is made up of a variety of cells, but most forms of prostate cancer start in the gland cells. This cancer is called adenocarcinoma. Most prostate cancers grow quite slowly, but sometimes they can grow quickly, even after a period of slow growth. As long as the cancer is contained within the gland, it is not dangerous, but when it spreads outside of the gland and into other tissue, it is often fatal. At present, modern research has not given doctors a way to guess which cancers will grow quickly, so all prostate cancer is treated as a potentially dangerous condition. Facts About Prostate Cancer:Race, family history, and age are all risk factors for prostate cancer. In the United States, African-American males are at the highest risk of developing the condition. Men between the ages of 60 and 80 are the most likely to develop the condition. There are no symptoms for early stage prostate cancer, making screening a vital step in diagnosing the condition. Large tumors may produce the following symptoms:
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