Biopharmaceutical Cancer Genomics

The prostate is a small, walnut shaped gland specific to only males. This gland is responsible for the production and storage of semen, which is then released during ejaculation. When prostate cancer develops, essentially what happens is that there is an abnormal cell growth in the prostate, which spreads to nearby tissue and eventually other areas of the body.

While the cancer remains in the prostate gland
, treatment is easier and more effective, but becomes more difficult to treat once the prostate cancer has spread. In most cases prostate cancer is a slow growing cancer that could begin in midlife, but not be detected until years later. Though it is unusual, it should be noted that in some cases, prostate cancer could grow quickly and spread to the lymph nodes; at this point there is a good chance that it has also spread to other areas of the body.

In rare cases, younger men have been known to develop prostate cancer but most often it is diagnosed in men over 50. As you get older, your risk for developing prostate cancer increases. From the age of 45 your risk of developing this disease continues to rise each year. Studies have shown that about 7 out of 10 men will have prostate cancer by the time they are 80 years old.

The most common form of prostate cancer is adenocarcinoma, which is the development of cancer of the glandular tissue of the prostate gland. Approximately 95% of prostate cancer is adenocarcinoma. In rare cases prostate cancer may occur in the tissue surrounding the prostate gland; these types of cancers are called leiomyosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.

Though age appears to be the major risk factor for developing prostate cancer, some additional risks include, race, genetics, and lifestyle. New studies indicate that it is a possibility that lack of exercise, obesity and prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) could also increase a man’s risk for developing prostate cancer.

Your best defense against prostate cancer is early detection. This type of cancer is often detected with a digital rectal exam, or by testing the amount of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) in the blood. This should be done at your yearly exam beginning at the age of 50, but if you have other risk factors such as a family history of prostate cancer it is best if you begin testing for this cancer when you are 40 years old.