Prostate cancer is extremely rare in men under 45, it commonly affects men in their 50's and is most often diagnosed in men in their 70's. As it is a cancer that specifically affects older men, it often goes undetected as it can have no symptoms in the early stages or the symptoms are unnoticed, or put down to 'old age'.

In case you are unfamiliar of what the prostate is, it is a gland within the male reproductive system which is located right underneath the bladder and right in front of the rectum. When you have a health prostate, it is similar to the size of a walnut. In the event that the prostate enlarges, it will squeeze the urethra and it will either slow or completely stop the urine from making its way from the bladder to its final destination, the penis.

The very first thing that you should know is that all prostate enlargements aren't cancer. In all actuality, there can be many causes of prostate enlargement other than cancer. For instance, benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH is used to describe a condition where there is abnormal growth of the benign cells which is noncancerous. Within this condition, the prostate enlarges and as a result it squeezes the urethra, which prevents the normal urine flow.

Following are the risk factors that are known to increase your likelihood of developing prostate cancer:

1.Smoking: By now you should realize that smoking will put each and every individual at a much higher risk of developing all different types of cancer.

2.Age: All of the men that are over the age of fifty are more than likely going to develop the disease in comparison to younger men.

3.Race: All of the men that are of the African American race are more likely to develop prostate cancer than any of the other ethnic groups.

4.Family History: In the event that within the family, there is a history of developing prostate cancer, your risk is going to increase.

5.Diet: Any diet that consists of high amounts of animal fat is believed to increase your risk of developing the prostate cancer.

In the event that you think you may be suffering from prostate cancer, it is very important that you contact your physician right away.

If the cancer has spread outside of the prostate gland then radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy are no longer treatment options. Hormone therapy can be undertaken to limit the growth of the hormone. Research has shown that prostate cancer growth is linked to male hormones called androgens.

Androgens, such as testosterone, are produced in the testicles and these hormones can cause the tumor to grow very quickly which increases the risk of the cells spreading. Therefore by limiting the amount of male hormones, you can slow the growth of the tumor. This can be done by medication, although sometimes the testicles are removed to assist the hormone treatment.

The other treatment option is called 'watchful waiting' or 'active surveillance'. This is when no medical treatment is undertaken, however you are closely monitored by your doctor and tests are done to detect any changes in the tumor.