What Is It? Prostate cancer results from the uncontrolled growth
of abnormal cells in the prostate gland. This gland produces
part of the fluid in semen. It is located below the bladder and
in front of the rectum, near the base of the penis. Prostate
cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in American
men. Many other men have the disease, but have not been
diagnosed. This is because prostate cancer has few symptoms
early on. Prostate cancer is common, but it is not always
dangerous. This is because it usually grows very slowly. It
affects older men; the average age at diagnosis is 70. And it's
usually diagnosed before it causes any symptoms. Also, these men
often have other illnesses which may be more important to treat
than a cancer that doesn't cause symptoms. When cells in the
prostate become cancerous (malignant), they clump together,
forming small "islands" of cancer in the prostate. In many
cases, it takes years, even decades, for this localized cancer
to spread beyond the prostate. And man