The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. It is a small gland that produces fluid to move the sperm out of a man during ejaculation. The prostate wraps around the tube in which urine flows out of the body and is located just under the bladder. The proper size of a prostate is about the size of a walnut. An enlarged prostate can be either benign or malignant. A biopsy must be taken to determine a diagnosis.

The risks of prostate cancer vary from age, family history, and race to certain prostate changes and certain genetic changes. The older a man is the greater the risk he is for getting cancer of the prostate. If a man has a brother, father or son that has had it, then his risk also goes up. Studies have shown that a man is at greater risk if he is African American than any other race, although it is not uncommon among other races. If a man is known to have prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia or PIN he may be at higher risk as well. Men that carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are also at greater risk.

Some men that have cancer of the prostate do not see any symptoms, but for those that do have symptoms there are a few that are most common. Urinary problems such as not being able to pass urine or trouble starting or stopping the urine flow. Another symptom is the need to urinate frequently, especially during the night. A slow or weak urine flow, inconsistent flow that starts and stops during urination and painful urination are also common. Difficulty having an erection and blood in the semen or urine are symptoms as well. There may also be a persistent pain the lower back, hips or upper thighs. Although it is important to note that these symptoms can occur for reasons other than cancer and should be checked out by your health care professional.

Once a diagnosis has been made then a grade is given to the tumor. The grade tells the doctor how much the cancer cells differ from normal prostate cells. It helps label whether a tumor is likely to grow or spread and how fast. This grading system along with the patients age and other risk factors will help the doctor know what treatment plan would be best for the patient. The stages are; stage I, stage II, stage III and stage IV. These also determine the extent of the cancer growth and which treatments would be best for treatment.

There are a bunch of treatment options that may be done alone or combined with other treatment plans. The treatment is based on the man's age, the grade of the tumor, the number of tissue samples containing cancer cells, the stage and the overall health of the patient. Once the treatments are suggested then the patient must decide the route he will take to fight his prostate cancer.