About Prostate Cancer

Get the Information You Need to Make the Right Decisions for You

Are you or someone you know newly diagnosed with prostate cancer? Are you curious about a new treatment option you saw advertised? Or are you just looking for some information about prostate cancer? You’ve come to the right place. ZERO is your source for up-to-date information on prostate cancer. Here, you’ll find the latest information on risk factors, prevention, detection, treatment, the latest research and more. Empower yourself and your loved ones to learn more about prostate cancer by checking out the information on this site.

What is the Prostate?

The prostate is a gland involved in the male reproductive system. It is surrounded by other glands, nerves and organs involved in sexual function. It is wrapped around the urethra and helps control the flow of urine. While you can live without a prostate, its location makes prostate cancer difficult to treat. The prostate is about the same size and shape as a walnut and weights only about an ounce. As pictured in this diagram, the prostate is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate surrounds a tube called the urethra that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis.

What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is a common, but typically slow growing cancer when compared to other types of cancer. Its growth is fed by, and generally depends on male hormones. Sometimes cells keep growing beyond their natural lifespan, and can cause a group of cells to swell up into a tumor. There are two types of tumors:

• Benign- Non-Cancerous tumors which are harmless
• Malignant- Cancerous tumors which are harmful to the cells around it

Cancer cells can remain in the prostate (local); in its immediate surroundings (regional) or cells can break free, getting into the blood or lymph system and cause cancer to spread to other parts of the body. This is referred to as metastatic.

In most cases, prostate cancer is an adenocarcinoma, a cancer of the epithelial cells which compose the inner lining of glands.

Get the facts. Learn more about cancer, and specifically prostate cancer in the U.S.