The Prostate

The male reproductive system is composed of the penis, prostate, and testicles. The prostate is found below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It produces a fluid that makes up a part of semen.

It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the tube (urethra) that empties urine from the bladder.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in African American men and second to skin cancer in Caucasian men. The most common form of cancer in the prostate is adenocarcinoma, which normally is a slow growing cancer.

Prostate cancer is typically detected through a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and a digital rectal examination (DRE).

Men usually begin early detection screening for prostate cancer between the ages of 40 and 50 depending on their individual risk factors. 

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by normal and cancerous cells of the prostate. The PSA test was approved by the FDA to monitor the prostate cancer growth but is also used for early detection.

The PSA test requires drawing your blood and sending it to a laboratory for analysis.

PSA is not just elevated in men with prostate cancer, but it is also found in men with benign (not cancerous) problems. An example is benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) (enlargement of the prostate). There is no evidence suggesting that BPH leads to prostate cancer.

Doctors examine the prostate by inserting a lubricated-gloved finger into the rectum to feel for irregularities in the prostate. This examination is called the digital rectal examination (DRE).