MedlinePlus: Prostate Cancer

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Illustration of male reproductive and urinary anatomy

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- Services and providers for Prostate Cancer in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Prostate Cancer is the National Cancer Institute
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Prostate Cancer

The prostate is the gland below a man's bladder that produces fluid for semen. Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages. It is rare in men younger than 40.

Levels of a substance called prostate specific antigen (PSA) is often high in men with prostate cancer. However, PSA can also be high with other prostate conditions. Since the PSA test became common, most prostate cancers are found before they cause symptoms. Symptoms of prostate cancer may include

Problems passing urine, such as pain, difficulty starting or stopping the stream, or dribbling
Low back pain
Pain with ejaculation

Prostate cancer treatment often depends on the stage of the cancer. How fast the cancer grows and how different it is from surrounding tissue helps determine the stage. Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or control of hormones that affect the cancer.

Start Here

Prostate Cancer - What Is It?(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player
Also available in Spanish
Prostate Cancer Risk: Understanding the Puzzle(National Cancer Institute)
What You Need to Know about Prostate Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews Latest News Diagnosis/Symptoms Treatment Prevention/Screening	Coping Disease Management Related Issues	Health Check Tools Tutorials Videos
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Overviews
- Detailed Guide: Prostate Cancer(American Cancer Society)
  Also available in Spanish
- JAMA Patient Page: Prostate Cancer(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF
- Prostate Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
- Prostate Cancer Guide(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Prostate Cancer: What You Need to Know(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  Also available in Spanish
- Report to the Nation on Prostate Cancer: A Guide for Men and Their Families(Prostate Cancer Foundation) - Large PDF file
Latest News
- Drug Can Slow Bone Loss in Prostate Cancer Patients(09/19/2008, HealthDay)
- September Is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month(09/15/2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Painkillers Lower PSA Test Readings(09/08/2008, HealthDay)
- Study Links Serum Calcium, Prostate Cancer Death(09/03/2008, HealthDay)
- Alternative Vaccine Strategy Shows Promise in Prostate Cancer Patients(08/15/2008, National Cancer Institute)
- Men Age 75 and Older Should Not Be Screened for Prostate Cancer(08/04/2008, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- More News on Prostate Cancer
Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Early Prostate Cancer: Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
- JAMA Patient Page: Grading of Prostate Cancer(American Medical Association)
  Also available in Spanish
- Medical Tests for Prostate Problems(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Prostate Adenocarcinoma(College of American Pathologists) - Links to PDF
- Ultrasound of the Prostate(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
  Also available in Spanish
Treatment
- Active Surveillance (Watchful Waiting)(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer(American Urological Association)
- Cryoablation for Prostate Cancer(American Urological Association)
  Also available in Spanish
- Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer(American Urological Association)
  Also available in Spanish
- Localized Prostate Cancer Treatment Options(American Urological Association)
- Prostate Cancer (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
- Prostate Cancer - Radiation Therapy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player
  Also available in Spanish
- Prostate Cancer Treatment Options(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  Also available in Spanish
- Surgical Management of Prostate Cancer(American Urological Association)
- Treating Prostate Cancer: A Guide for Men with Localized Prostate Cancer(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Treatment Choices for Men with Early-Stage Prostate Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
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Prevention/Screening
- Prostate Cancer (PDQ): Prevention(National Cancer Institute)
- Prostate Cancer (PDQ): Screening(National Cancer Institute)
- Prostate Cancer Questions Answered(American Cancer Society)
- Prostate Cancer Screening: A Decision Guide(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Prostate Cancer Screening: A Decision Guide for African Americans(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
- Screening for Prostate Cancer with Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations(American College of Physicians)
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Coping
- Coping with Prostate Cancer(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
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Disease Management
- Side Effects of Chemotherapy Therapy(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Side Effects of Hormone Therapy(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
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Related Issues
- Bowel Dysfunction(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Erectile Dysfunction(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Fertility(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Non-Risk Factors(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Professional Help: Sexuality and Cancer(American Cancer Society)
- Prostate Cancer and Stress(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
- Prostate Cancer Specialists(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
- Urinary Dysfunction(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Vasectomy and Cancer Risk(National Cancer Institute)
- What Prostate Cancer Survivors Need to Know about Osteoporosis(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- What to Consider When Your PSA Is Rising After Initial Treatment(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- What to Consider When Your PSA Is Rising during Hormone Therapy(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- When Prostate Cancer Comes Back (Cancer Recurrence)(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
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Health Check Tools
- Prostate Cancer Risk Questionnaire(Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention)
  Also available in Spanish
- Prostate Cancer Risk: Understanding the Puzzle(National Cancer Institute)
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Tutorials
- Prostate Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
- Prostate Cancer - Radiation Therapy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player
  Also available in Spanish
- Prostate Cancer - What Is It?(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player
  Also available in Spanish
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Videos
- Minimally Invasive, Robotic-Assisted Prostate Surgery(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 1/19/2006
- Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 11/02/2006
- Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 12/06/2006
- Robotic Prostatectomy(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 8/10/2006
- Robotic-Assisted Prostatectomy - Requires media player - One hour program - 8/08/2007
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Anatomy/Physiology
- What Is Your Prostate?(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Prostatic Neoplasms(National Institutes of Health)
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Genetics
- Learning about Prostate Cancer(National Human Genome Research Institute)
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Research
- Comorbidities May Limit Benefits of Combination Prostate Therapy(National Cancer Institute)
- Emerging Therapies(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Experience Counts for Prostate Surgery Success(American Cancer Society)
- Finasteride Not Linked to High-Grade Prostate Cancers(National Cancer Institute)
- National Cooperative Study of Hereditary Prostate Cancer in African-Americans(National Human Genome Research Institute)
- Prostate Cancer(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF
- Prostate Cancer Patients Pick Treatments That May Worsen Quality of Life(American Cancer Society)
- Researchers Discover Common Variations in Gene Segments that Increase the Risk for Prostate Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
- Studies Make Case for Finasteride to Prevent Prostate Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
- What's New in Prostate Cancer Research and Treatment?(American Cancer Society)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Treating prostate cancer, Part III: active surveillance.
- Article: Treating prostate cancer, Part I: The big picture.
- Article: How much tissue sampling is required when unsuspected minimal prostate...
- Prostate Cancer -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Glossary of Prostate Cancer Terms(Prostate Cancer Foundation)
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Directories
- Directory of Kidney and Urologic Diseases Organizations(National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse)
- Find a Radiation Oncologist(American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology)
- Find a Urologist(American Urological Association)
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Organizations
- American Cancer Society
- National Cancer Institute
- Prostate Cancer Foundation
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Statistics
- FASTATS: Prostate Disease(National Center for Health Statistics)
- What Are the Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
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