Prostate glands are a part of the male reprouctive system. These glands produce seminal fluid to nourish and transport sperm.

The prostate glands are located under the bladder and in front of the rectum. Prostate cancer is a very common form of male cancer that starts in the glands.

Risk Factors: The exact cause of prostate cancer are unknown but there are some risk factors to help identify individuals at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Risks include age, ethnicity and family history.

Family history plays a role for all men, if a family member had prostate cancer there's a greater risk of developing prostate cancer.

As well, prostate cancer is more common the older you are, there is an increased occurrence in men beyond age fifty. And when it comes to ethnicity African American men have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer than men in other ethnic groups and the age of onset tends to be earlier.

Different types: Some prostate cancers progress very slowly. If a tumour is of a low grade when first diagnosed your doctor may initially recommend active surveillance with no other treatment as necessary.

While in some cases a prostate cancer may progress very quickly and be life-threatening. Typically treatment is determined by the nature and type of cancer.

Diagnostics Tools:

1. The range of tests for diagnostic purposes include a PSA blood test to determine the level of antigens in the blood.The PSA test is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer.
2. The PSAtest cannot diagnose prostate cancer but can tell you if theres a problem with the prostate.
3. Higher levels of PSA may indicate the presence of cancer, but can also be an indicator of other prostate conditions.
4. A number of non-cancerous conditions can cause the PSA level to rise.
5. In addition, imaging tests such as ultrasound, MRI, x-rays or a cystoscopy are very useful diagnostic tools.
6. An MRI can be done if PSA levels are high to help identify areas where there may be tumours.
7. Sometimes a CAT scan is done if the PSA is high, this will help detect whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes around the prostate.
8. Other tests may include a urine test to check for a urinary tract infection
9. A Trans-rectal ultrasound of the prostate helps to determine if there is anything abnormal in the shape or size of the prostate.
10. Or a bone scan may be done if bone pain is reported and there is a high PSA level especially if there is a suspicion that prostate cancer may have spread.
11. What's more, the PSA test is often used to monitor how someone responds to cancer treatment or to monitor the disease recurrence or progression.

Treatment Options: Besides surveillance to treat early prostate cancer, if the condition is advanced, treatments may include more aggressive or intensive therapies.

Likely therapeutic interventions are surgery, radiation, hormone therapy or chemotherapy. The prognosis for prostate cancer recovery is good if cancer has not spread to other areas of your body.

Through awareness and regularly scheduled screenings, prostate cancer can be detected as early as possible and suitably treated.