Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths among men. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 288,300 new cases will be diagnosed in 2023. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases significantly after the age of 65.
What Is Prostate Cancer?
The prostate gland is found only in males. It is about the size of a walnut and sits just below the bladder in front of the rectum. The urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder) runs through the prostate. The role of the prostate gland is to manufacture a fluid that is part of the semen (the fluid that contains sperm).Prostate cancer is typically a slow-growing cancer. Many patients with prostate cancer live much longer than five years after diagnosis. In fact, almost 90 percent of men with prostate cancer live at least five years, and 63 percent survive more than 10 years. If the cancer is detected before it has spread to other organs, the five-year relative survival rate is 100 percent. However, if the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the five-year survival rate drops to 31 percent.
