The prostate gland is found only in men; therefore,
only men get prostate cancer. The prostate is
about the size of a walnut and found just below
the bladder and in front of the rectum. The tube
that carries urine (urethra) runs through the
prostate.
Most of the time, prostate cancer grows very slowly.
Autopsies show that many elderly men who died of
other diseases also had prostate cancer that they
were not aware of. But sometimes it can grow quickly,
spreading to other parts of the body. Cancer cells
may enter the lymph system and spread to lymph nodes
(small, bean-shaped collections of cells that help
in fighting infections). If cancer is in the lymph
nodes, it is more likely to have spread to other
organs of the body as well.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer
found in American men, other than skin cancer. It
is found most often in men over 50. In fact, more
than eight out of ten of the men with prostate cancer
are over the age of 65.
Source: American Cancer Society
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