The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system, which makes fluid that forms an essential part of the semen. Prostate cancer starts when cells of the prostate glands begin to grow abnormally

Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancers in men above the age of 60. In most of the cases, it is slow growing and may even go undetected and do not cause any problem. However, in some cases, it could be aggressive and cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body (metastatic prostate cancer)

Prostate cancer is a very slow growing disease and starts with tiny alterations in the shape and size of the prostate gland cells. The prostate cancer risk increases with age and it is rarely observed before the age of 40. That is the main reason why many men die of old age, without ever knowing that they had prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Causes

There is no direct prostate cancer causes. However, there are some factors that can increase the risk of prostate cancer, including the following:

• Consumption of diet rich in red meat and high fat dairy products
• Less consumption of vegetables and fruits
• Obesity
• Family history of the disease
• Smoking and alcohol consumption
• Sexually transmitted infections

Types of Prostate Cancer

Usually, prostate cancer means the cancer of prostate gland cells called prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Almost all the prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas, but there are some other types of prostate cancer as well, including the following:

• Sarcomas
• Small-cell carcinomas
• Neuroendocrine tumors (other than small cell carcinomas)
• Transitional cell carcinomas

Prostate Cancer Classification

Based on how abnormal the patterns of cancer cells look, prostate cancers are classified as:

• Low-grade PIN: In this, the pattern of prostate cells appears almost normal
• High-grade PIN: In this, the pattern of cells looks a bit abnormal

Signs of Prostate Cancer

There are no warning signs of prostate cancer. The symptoms of metastatic prostate cancer usually appear first in the region that the cancer cells have invaded.

After cancer causes the prostate gland to swell, the following signs of prostate cancer may be experienced: 

• Frequent urination, especially at night
• Difficulty starting or stopping the stream of urine
• Weak urine stream and inability to urinate
• Pain and burning sensation during urination and ejaculation
• Blood in urine or semen

In prostate cancer stages, the following symptoms may also be there:

• Pain in spine, pelvis or ribs
• Leg weakness
• Urinary incontinence
• Fecal incontinence