National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions

The National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions encourages all men to get early, annual screenings for prostate cancer and to educate themselves about this disease.

What is the Prostate?

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. About the size of a walnut, the prostate is located just below the bladder, in front of the rectum and wraps around the urethra. The main purpose of the prostate is to produce semen.

What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate gland that may spread to other parts of the body. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men and strikes one in six American men. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that in 2010 there will be 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed and about 32,050 men will die of the disease.

The ACS states, "Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men, other than skin cancer. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. (Lung cancer is the first.) One man in 6 will get prostate cancer during his lifetime. And one man in 36 will die of this disease. More than 2 million men in the United States who have had prostate cancer at some point are still alive today. The death rate for prostate cancer is going down, and the disease is being found earlier, too."

What are the Symptoms?

Prostate cancer presents few symptoms. In rare cases the following may occur:

• Frequent urination
• Inability to urinate
• Trouble starting/holding back urine
• Weak/interrupted urine flow
• Blood in urine or semen
• Frequent lower back/hip/thigh pain

Because these symptoms can also be caused by other disorders, men should undergo a complete medical exam to determine the underlying cause.