The Basics

Prostate cancer is a cancer of the prostate gland, a walnut-sized gland just below the bladder that wraps around the urethra. Prostate cancer afflicts one in six men in the United States in his lifetime. Around 80% of men eighty years of age have the disease, but it is slow-developing in older men, and will likely not be the ultimate cause of death. However, prostate cancer can occur in much younger men.

The typical slow progress of prostate cancer, and the "watch and wait" approach sometimes advised, has lead to a misconception. The disease can
take a much more aggressive form, and can spread to other organs.

Several treatment options are available. Men over forty need to arrange for a screening, because early detection is crucial.