Prostate Cancer

Probably one of the most feared among the diseases is the Big C or commonly known as cancer. Not only it is mentally burdening and physically degenerating, it is financially debilitating as well.

Among older men prostate cancer is the most common and one of the major causes of death. According to the World Health Organization report in 2002, which states that lung cancer and stomach cancer are affecting men in worldwide proportion while cases of prostate cancer are commonly seen from developed countries. In the WHO 2003 report on the global case of cancer, prostate and testicular cancer accounted 250,000 cases.

The Prostate.com reported that there are 200,000 diagnosed cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. annually while the National Institute of Health reported that three-fourths of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed from men who are more than 65 years old while the disease is rarely fond among men who have not reach the age of forty.

Like any type of cancer, prostate cancer begins when cells start to produce the abnormal ones and form as a mass that is commonly called tumor. A tumor can be benign or malignant. The malignant tumor is the cancerous tumor. Prostate cancer appears when malignant tissue affects the prostate.

The causes of prostate cancer has not bee fully traced by medical experts, however risk factors had been identified that might make men predisposed to the disease. One of the identified risk factors of prostate cancer is age.

It can be notes that most of the cases of the disease are found among older men who are 40 years old and above but the cases are more apparent among men who are more than 65 years old. The racial origin of a man might make him vulnerable to the disease. In the U.S. alone most of the cases are found among African American while the number among Asians and American Indians is lesser.

Genetic is also one major risk factor of the disease. The susceptibility to the disease is higher in men whose brother or father is suffering from the disease. Another identified risk factor of prostate cancer is diet. According to NIH, studies have shown diet that are rich in animal fat can increase the likelihood of getting the disease while a diet that is high in vegetables and fresh fruits may lower the probability of acquiring the disease.

The only way to detect the disease is through examination like the digital rectal examination. Once diagnosed, planning the treatment should logically follow. Research has shown that prostate cancer be treated. Treatment varies from one patient to the other and depending on the severity of the disease.

Understanding the cause or the risk factor of the disease will help in making better informed decisions about the treatment of prostate cancer. If detected in its earlier stage the patient has bigger chances of recovering from the disease.