WHAT IS THE PROSTATE?

The prostate (PROS-tate) is a gland found only in men. The prostate is about the size of a walnut. It is just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The tube that carries urine (the urethra) runs through the prostate.

The prostate contains cells that make some of the seminal fluid. This fluid protects and nourishes the sperm. Male hormones cause the prostate gland to develop in the fetus. The prostate keeps on growing as a boy grows to manhood. If male hormones are removed, the prostate gland will not grow to full size, or it could shrink.
Most of the time, prostate cancer grows very slowly. Autopsy studies show that many elderly men who died of other diseases also had prostate cancer that neither they nor their doctor were aware of. But sometimes prostate cancer can grow and spread quickly. Even with the latest methods, it is hard to tell which prostate cancers will grow slowly and which will grow quickly.

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER?

Some doctors believe that prostate cancer begins with very small changes in the size and shape of the prostate gland cells. These changes are known as PIN (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia). These changes are grouped as either low-grade (almost normal) or high-grade (abnormal).
If you have had high-grade PIN, there is a higher chance that there are cancer cells in your prostate. For this reason, you will be watched carefully.