What Is Prostate Cancer?

This content has been reviewed and approved by

Daniel P. Petrylak, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Genitourinary Oncology Program
Columbia University Medical Center
 

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), prostate cancer is by far the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in men in the United States.

Prostate cancer is a disease in which cells in the prostate gland begin to grow and reproduce at an abnormal rate. If untreated, the defective cells may eventually spread to other areas of the body. Although all men are at risk for prostate cancer, it's typically a disease of aging and approximately one in six men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime, with African-American men having a higher incidence rate than Caucasian men.

 

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However, a variety of methods are available to treat prostate cancer and limit the side effects associated with treatment, including erectile dysfunction (ED) and impotence. Like most cancers, early detection and treatment can help control the disease and/or eliminate it from your body.

This content was last reviewed August 15, 2010 by Dr. Reshma L. Mahtani.
Latest Prostate Cancer News
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February 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An advisory panel on Wednesday recommended that U.S. health regulators reject the use of Amgen Inc's drug Xgeva to delay the spread of prostate cancer to the bone, dimming the chance of a wider use for one of the company's key growth drivers.

FDA staff unsure about new use for Amgen's Xgeva

February 6, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Reviewers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday that they were not sure whether Amgen Inc's Xgeva bone drug should be approved for a wider use of delaying the spread of cancer to the bone.

UK says home-grown cancer pill too costly to use

February 2, 2012 — LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's health cost watchdog NICE sparked a major row on Thursday by snubbing a pricey new prostate cancer pill discovered at the country's top cancer research center, a decision critics said was bad for patients and research.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health