The prostate is a gland found only in men. It is located underneath the bladder, and it wraps around the urethra (the tube through which urine comes out of the body). Only about the size of a pea in a child, during puberty the gland grows to about the size of a walnut. It is responsible for making seminal fluid.

Except for skin cancer, cancer of the prostate is the most common malignancy in American men. It is estimated that one in six men will get the disease, and almost 30,000 men die of it every year.

For most men, prostate cancer grows slowly. Most men with prostate cancer do not die of this illness, but of some other unrelated cause or health problem. However, this disease is becoming more common in younger men, which is more likely to require treatment to stop the progression. Early prostate cancer is localized, or confined, to the prostate gland. When it is in this localized state it is nearly 100% curable.

On this page:

• Risk Factors
• Screening and Diagnosis
• Treatment
• The Center for Prostate Cancer
• Clinical Trials

Risk Factors

• Gender: if you are born a male, you are at risk
• Age: starting around forty and up; chances go up considerably at age 65
• Race: More than any other race in the world, African-Americans are more likely to have prostate cancer, and also to die from it. Caucasian-Americans have the second highest rate. 
• Family history of prostate cancer
• Living in the Midwest part of the United States, combined with being of Scandinavian descent
• Diets high in fats and low in fruits and vegetables
• Obesity
• Smoking

Top of page

Screening and Diagnosis

Prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms until it has grown outside the prostate, which can take many years. When symptoms do occur, they may include:

• Frequent urination, especially at night
• Inability to urinate
• Blood in the urine
• Pain when urinating or ejaculating
• Trouble starting or holding back urination
• A weak or interrupted urine flow
• Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.

Other diseases of the prostate may also have the same symptoms. Not everyone who has these symptoms has prostate cancer. Because it is important to catch prostate cancer as early as possible, yearly screenings and checkups are strongly recommended to make sure that no problem is overlooked.

The main screening methods include a blood test for the prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and the digital rectal exam (DRE). The guidelines for screening include:

• PSA and DRE done at least once a year for men age 50 years and older.
• African Americans, and anyone with a family history of prostate cancer should begin at age 40-45.
• It is important to know both your PSA levels and also to track any changes. If you change doctors, make sure to have your records transferred so your history can be monitored with each passing test.

The diagnosis of prostate cancer can be made only by removing a small amount of the prostate with a biopsy procedure, which is usually performed in the doctor's office. A microscope is used to look for cancerous cells in the prostate tissue.

Top of page

Treatment

Treatment depends on the stage at which the cancer is found and on the patient's age and health status. There are many treatment options for prostate cancer. These choices include:

1. Radical prostatectomy (prahs-tah-tec-toh-mee) — Surgical removal of the entire prostate
2. External beam radiation therapy — Radiation beams used to target cancerous areas
3. Brachytherapy (bray-kee-thare-ah-pee) — Tiny radioactive pellets surgically implanted in the prostate to deliver radiation directly to the cancer
4. Cryogenic therapy — Freezing the prostate cells with a surgical procedure
5. Hormone therapy — A method of blocking or removing testosterone from the body, to remove a source of energy from cancer cells. Hormone therapy cannot be used to cure prostate cancer, but is frequently used alone or in combination with other treatments to slow or limit cancer growth for a period of time.
6. Watchful waiting — Using testing to monitor prostate cancer growth without treatment; often used for low grade cancers, elderly patients, or those who have other medical problems preventing or delaying cancer treatments.

There is currently no cure for advanced prostate cancer. Available treatments are aimed at slowing the spread of the disease and relieving symptoms. These available treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy in limited doses, and clinical trials. Another factor in advanced prostate cancer is bone health, which usually requires monitoring and sometimes treatment.

Top of page

The Center for Prostate Cancer

The Center for Prostate Cancer, a collaboration of the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, and University of Minnesota Physicians, provides a full range of diagnostic and treatment services in urology, medical oncology, radiation therapy and support services. We work collaboratively to provide the best possible care to you and your family.

Visit The Center for Prostate Cancer Web site for information about the center's physicians and how to make an appointment. The Web site also features:

• Virtual tours of the Center for Prostate Cancer, the Patient Resource Center, and an exam room
• An animated video of a robotic-assisted laparascopic prostatectomy
• Detailed information about treatments offered by physicians at the Center
• Information about support resources available for patients and their families

If you have questions about The Center for Prostate Cancer, contact Program Coordinator Karina DiLuzio, 612-625-6401.

Top of page

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are studies that evaluate the effectiveness of new interventions. There are different types of cancer clinical trials, such as prevention trials, early detection trials, and treatment trials. If you take part in a clinical trial, you may or may not benefit from a new drug, procedure, or symptom-control method.  Participation in a clinical trial advances treatment for prostate cancer.

• Urologic (bladder, kidney, prostate) cancer trials available through the Cancer Center
• All clinical trials available through the Masonic Cancer Center

If you have questions about clinical trials, contact the the Masonic Cancer Center's Cancer Information Line.

Top of page