Prostate cancer

The diagnosis of prostate cancer (prostate carcinoma) refers to a malignant tumor of the male prostate gland.

From the fiftieth year of life, almost every second man has changes in the prostate. This may be a benign enlargement of the gland, the so-called benign prostatic hyperplasia. It begins its growth in that part of the prostate that immediately surrounds the urethra. Thus, the urethra narrows more and more, so that problems arise: the urine stream becomes weaker, the urge to urinate more often.

In most cases, around 66%, prostate carcinoma begins its growth in the outer zone of the gland. Since the tumor is located far from the urethra, it remains unnoticed for a long time. Narrowing of the urethra, causing problems with urination, occurs more often when the tumor has already spread and become large. Whether the change in the prostate is benign or malignant, only a doctor can determine.

For prostate cancer, the following rule applies: the earlier this diagnosis is made, the better the chances of a full recovery. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Germany. According to the Robert Koch Institute, approximately 63,400 men in Germany need treatment for prostate cancer every year. Prostate carcinoma, with a share of approximately 10%, is the 3rd leading cancer in the world. The average age of the diseased is a little more than 70 years, before the 50th year of life, this disease is rare.