Some Facts About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is characterized by the growth within the gland of a malignant tumor; medically known as an "adenocarcinoma." This tumor is defined as a "primary cancer" because its growth is triggered by an event within the prostate, not by the invasion of cancerous cells from some other part of the body. Most often, growth of an adenocarcinoma occurs first in the outer rear region of the prostate. As growth continues, the tumor may spread deep into the interior of the gland. In time, the malignancy may establish footholds in the various organs surrounding the prostate, eventually spreading to many other parts of the body.
The pace at which prostate cancer spreads appears to depend upon the individual patient and the nature of the tumor itself. In a 1989 study by researchers at University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, of a group of 223 men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer but not subsequently treated, the disease showed signs of having spread in 62 men during an average period of six and a half years following diagnosis. The disease was most widespread in patients diagnosed with larger and more palpable tumors, those easier to identify by touch during digital rectal examination.
What Causes Prostate Cancer?
Patients often ask me what caused their prostate cancer. Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer; not too surprising since, despite recent advances in medical science, a specific cause cannot be identified in more than half of all cancer types. In cases where a cause has been located scientifically, smoking is the most frequent culprit.
In prostate cancer, there is some evidence that a diet high in fat may increase the odds. However, no link has yet been found between prostate cancer and anything else you personally control, such as alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. There is some evidence that men exposed in the workplace to cadmium, a fairly toxic metallic element, are at slightly greater risk. Cadmium is present in storage battery manufacture, metal alloys, and electroplating. Men working in these industries should be careful to follow safety rules, and to have periodic prostate examinations.
Genetics may be a factor; too, as revealed by statistics that suggest men with a father or brother who had prostate cancer have a considerably higher risk for the disease. Black Americans have the highest known incidence of prostate cancer in the world. New cases are reported in Black Americans at a rate per 100,000 almost double that of Caucasians. Genetics might also be a factor, but so could environmental conditions or even a combination of the two.