• Prostate Cancer FAQs
• Proton Therapy for Prostate FAQs

Approximately 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the most common cancer in the United States. Fortunately, with early detection and recent advances in treatment techniques, men can be cured of this disease and still maintain an excellent quality of life. Your FROG team specializes in the managment of prostate cancer with many curative techniques that allow patients to avoid prostatectomy. Indeed, FROG is one on the top five providers of seed implants for prostate cancer in the United States.

Please take a few moments to read below about:

• Prostate Location
• Causes of Prostate Cancer
• PSA
• How to get checked for Prostate Cancer

Prostate Anatomy
The prostate gland is a walnut-sized structure located in the pelvis. It is sandwiched between the bladder, which is above the gland, and the rectum, which is below. This is why one side of the prostate can be felt during a rectal exam.

The prostate surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that runs from the bladder to the tip of the penis for urination. Its primary function is to secrete a fluid that helps to transport sperm.

Prostate Cancer -- What are the causes?
The exact causes of prostate cancer are unknown. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases as men age. Ultimately, more than one in six men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime. Men with a family history of prostate cancer and African-American men may also be at an increased risk.

As men continue to live longer and healthier lives, prostate cancer will likely become a more common problem in the 21st century.

What is PSA?
PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen. It is a chemical produced only by prostate cells, both normal and cancerous. It can be measured easily in the blood. Your physician must carefully review your PSA results. Traditionally, it had been thought in the past that a PSA of 4 was normal. We now know that a “normal” PSA depends on your age and the size of your prostate, amongst other factors. What is a normal PSA for one man, may, in fact, be very abnormal for another.

Generally speaking, as men age and their prostates enlarge, the “normal” level for PSA increases. Likewise, for men with prostate cancer, as the amount of prostate cancer increases, the PSA level typically increases. Your physician will typically be alerted when your PSA is above what is expected for your age or if it shows a significant rise from the previous year. Because not all cancers can be found by an elevated PSA, it is critical that you also have regular physical exams to feel for abnormal growths of the prostate.

Pre-Cancer Screening -- Don't delay!
Early detection is the hallmark of successful treatment of prostate cancer. Usually there are no warning signs for prostate cancer. As the cancer progresses, symptoms can be very non-specific and might include a change in your urinary or bowel habits or a new onset of bone pain. Regular physical exams and PSA tests will aid in the earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer. PSA is a simple blood test that can be done in most doctors’ offices or laboratories. The American Cancer Society recommends that beginning at age 50, all men should have yearly PSA blood tests and physical exams. Men with a close relative who has had prostate cancer and African-American men should have yearly exams starting at age 40.

Because of regular screening, the majority of men are now diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early, curable stage.In contrast, 20 years ago, most men were not diagnosed until the cancer had already grown and spread to other parts of the body.

Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines (PSA Test & Physical Examination)

Prostate Cancer FAQs

See also Florida Center for Prostate Care.