The human body is made up of billions of cells. Normally, cells function for a while, die, and are then replaced by new cells in an orderly fashion. This results in an appropriate number of cells that are organized by the body to perform specific jobs or functions.
Occasionally, cells are replaced in an uncontrolled way and are unable to be organized by the body to perform their normal function. As a result, there is an abnormal growth of cells that form a tumour. Not all tum ours are cancer.
There are two kinds of tumours:
Non-cancerous tumours (benign)
Cancerous tumours (malignant)
Benign (non-cancerous) tumours are not cancer and they don’t spread to other parts of the body. As they increase in size, benign tumours can squeeze surrounding parts of the body and expand into nearby areas. This can cause pain and interfere with normal function, but is seldom life threatening.
Malignant tumours are cancerous and they invade nearby groups of cells or tissues, crowding out and destroying normal cells. Malignant tumours can cause pain and interfere with normal function, and they can also spread to other parts of the body and threaten a person’s life.
Cancer cells can break away from the main or primary malignant tumour and travel to other parts of the body. The body fluids that can carry cancer cells from the primary tumour to other parts of the body are the blood and the lymph.
Lymph is a nearly clear fluid that drains waste from cells. Lymph also carries dead cells or abnormal and cancer cells. This fluid travels through lymphatic vessels and into small bean-shaped structures called lymph nodes. One function of lymph nodes is to filter unwanted substances, such as cancer cells, out of the lymph fluid. However, if there are too many cancer cells, the lymph nodes cannot remove all of them and they may travel in the lymph to other parts of th e body.
Prostate cancer is an uncontrolled (malignant) growth of cells in the prostate gland (a male sex gland).
The prostate gland is located at the base of the bladder and surrounds the passage (urethra) through which urine from the bladder exits the penis. It produces fluids that form part of semen in order to protect sperm. The normal prostate gland is the size of a walnut in a young man and enlarges with age.
Prostate cancer, unlike many other forms of cancer, tends to be slow growing.
Eventually it can spread to other organs and tissues, including the bones.
Early prostate cancer usually has no symptoms and can be difficult to diagnose. Symptoms of more advanced disease include, weak or interrupted urine flow, frequent urination, difficulty urinating, blood in the urine or semen, pain or burning on urination, impotence.
Prostate cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body, especially the bones of the hip and cause lower back pain. However, back pain can also be caused by many other conditions so experiencing it doesn’t necessarily mean you have prostate cancer.
No one knows exactly what causes prostate cancer. Some conditions and factors may make you more likely to develop the disease.
Family History: genetics can play a role. Approximately one in ten cases may be influenced by heredity. If your father or brother suffered from prostate cancer, you may have an increased risk of developing it yourself.
Age: is the most important factor in prostate cancer risk. The older you are the more likely you are to develop cancer of the prostate.
Geography/Race: African-Americans are almost twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as White Americans. Afro-Caribbean's may also be at increased risk. Prostate cancer is rare in the Far East.
Diet: fatty foods (especially those high in saturated fat) and red meat may increase the risk, whereas vegetables including tomatoes may decrease the risk.
|