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What Are the Causes and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is malignancy in a man's prostate gland, the walnut-sized gland that secretes a fluid that makes up part of semen.
The causes of prostate cancer are still being researched, but the disease occurs most frequently in older men, with the risk increasing dramatically after the age of 40. Nearly one in six men between the ages 60 and 79 suffer from prostate cancer. Incidence is highest in the United States and Western Europe, but is increasing world-wide. It is believed that genetic pre-disposition and family history, environmental factors and diet -- especially high levels of fat consumption -- are among the major risk factors for prostate cancer.
Ethnicity also appears to influence a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. Black men are nearly twice as likely as their Asian and Caucasian counterparts to develop the disease. The incidence of prostate cancer among black men is currently more than 200 cases per 100,000.
The symptoms of prostate cancer are often very subtle. Sometimes, especially in the early stages of prostate cancer, there are no symptoms at all.
When symptoms do occur, they can include:
- problems with urination such as the inability to urinate, pain, burning or weakened urine flow
- frequent urination
- blood in the urine or semen
- painful ejaculation
- pain in the lower pelvic area
- general pain in the lower back, hips or thighs
- loss of appetite and/or weight
- persistent bone pain
Ideally, diagnosis of prostate cancer should happen before any symptoms occur. Early detection is usually achieved via a routine exam that consists of digital rectal examination (DRE) and a blood test called a PSA, which monitors levels of a prostate-specific antigen in the blood. If the DRE and/or the PSA is abnormal, a prostate biopsy is recommended. This procedure is done on an outpatient basis and is fairly painless.
For more information or to make an appointment with a Tufts Medical Center urology specialist, call 617-636-6317.
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