Prostate cancer develops in the prostate gland, a part of the reproductive system in men and people assigned male at birth. Many people choose active surveillance (no treatment) because it tends to grow slowly and stay in the gland. For cancers that grow fast and spread, common treatments include radiation and surgery.
small walnut-shaped gland located below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB). This tiny gland secretes fluid that mixes with semen, keeping sperm healthy for conception and pregnancy.
It is a serious disease. Fortunately, most people with prostate cancer get diagnosed before it spreads beyond their prostate gland. Treatment at this stage often eliminates the cancer.
Types:
If you’re diagnosed with it, it’s most likely an adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinomas start in the cells of glands — like your prostate — that secrete fluid. Rarely, prostate cancer forms from other types of cells.
Less common types include:
- Small cell carcinomas.
- Transitional cell carcinomas.
- Neuroendocrine tumors.
- Sarcomas
How common is it?
It is common, second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer affecting men and people AMAB. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for every 100 people with prostates, 13 will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Most will live normal lives and eventually die from causes unrelated to it. Some won’t need treatment.
Still, approximately 34,000 people in the United States die from it each year.
Your treatment depends on multiple factors, that including your overall condition, but if the cancer’s spread and how fast it’s spreading. Depending on your treatments, you may work with various healthcare providers, including urologists, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists. Most of it diagnosed in the early stages can be cured with treatment
