Q: I don't know very much about the prostate. Can you tell me what it is and what it does?
A: The prostate is a gland in men that helps make semen - the fluid that carries sperm. It is located around the tube that transports urine from the bladder out of the body. While a young man's prostate is approximately the size of a walnut, it usually grows larger with age. If it becomes too large, it can cause problems.
Q: What are some common prostate concerns? How do I know if I'm at risk of developing these problems?
A: Most prostate problems are not cancer, and minor problems with your prostate won't necessarily raise your chance of developing prostate cancer.
Prostatitis is a common inflammation of the prostate sometimes caused by bacterial infection. However, how the prostate becomes infected is unclear. Some symptoms to watch for include pain or burning during urination, difficulty urinating, frequent urge to urinate, chills and fever. If you are having trouble urinating or have the need to go often, you may have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) - also known as an enlarged prostate.
Regardless of race or family history you should start being screened at age 40. Prostate trouble is common in men after age 50. However, men in their 30s and 40s can also have trouble with their prostate.
Q: How common is prostate cancer?
A: One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, but only one in 35 will die of the disease according to the American Cancer Society.
Prostate cancer has additional risk factors you should be aware of besides age. African-American men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer when compared to Hispanic, Latino and Asian-American men.
A family history of prostate cancer can raise your risk of developing the disease. If you have a father or brother who has had prostate cancer, you are twice as likely to get the disease when compared to a man who doesn't have a family history of prostate cancer.
Eating habits are beginning to be thought to contribute to your risk of developing the cancer. Diets that are rich in fats - especially red meat and other animal fats - are thought to increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Even though prostate cancer is often slow-growing, it is a very serious cancer. In 2009, the American Cancer Society estimated 192,280 new cases of prostate cancer will develop in the United States and 27,360 men will die as a result of this disease. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among men in the United States and is second only to lung cancer as a leading cause of cancer death among men.
To help prevent the development of prostate cancer, you should begin screening regularly for the disease during your physical exam once you reach age 40. Early detection and treatment is the best way to beat prostate cancer. The American Urological Association Foundation recommends getting a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and a digital rectal exam or DRE - a physical exam of the prostate. PSA - a protein found in your blood that is produced by the prostate - can be measured by a blood sample taken by your provider.
- Urologist Kenneth Sparr, MD, treats all conditions of the urinary tract in men and women, especially kidney stones and prostate disease. Dr. Sparr received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He completed his post-graduate training in urologic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals and is board certified by the American Board of Urology. To make an appointment with Dr. Sparr, call Monroe Clinic at (608) 324-2300.
A: The prostate is a gland in men that helps make semen - the fluid that carries sperm. It is located around the tube that transports urine from the bladder out of the body. While a young man's prostate is approximately the size of a walnut, it usually grows larger with age. If it becomes too large, it can cause problems.
Q: What are some common prostate concerns? How do I know if I'm at risk of developing these problems?
A: Most prostate problems are not cancer, and minor problems with your prostate won't necessarily raise your chance of developing prostate cancer.
Prostatitis is a common inflammation of the prostate sometimes caused by bacterial infection. However, how the prostate becomes infected is unclear. Some symptoms to watch for include pain or burning during urination, difficulty urinating, frequent urge to urinate, chills and fever. If you are having trouble urinating or have the need to go often, you may have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) - also known as an enlarged prostate.
Regardless of race or family history you should start being screened at age 40. Prostate trouble is common in men after age 50. However, men in their 30s and 40s can also have trouble with their prostate.
Q: How common is prostate cancer?
A: One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, but only one in 35 will die of the disease according to the American Cancer Society.
Prostate cancer has additional risk factors you should be aware of besides age. African-American men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer when compared to Hispanic, Latino and Asian-American men.
A family history of prostate cancer can raise your risk of developing the disease. If you have a father or brother who has had prostate cancer, you are twice as likely to get the disease when compared to a man who doesn't have a family history of prostate cancer.
Eating habits are beginning to be thought to contribute to your risk of developing the cancer. Diets that are rich in fats - especially red meat and other animal fats - are thought to increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Even though prostate cancer is often slow-growing, it is a very serious cancer. In 2009, the American Cancer Society estimated 192,280 new cases of prostate cancer will develop in the United States and 27,360 men will die as a result of this disease. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among men in the United States and is second only to lung cancer as a leading cause of cancer death among men.
To help prevent the development of prostate cancer, you should begin screening regularly for the disease during your physical exam once you reach age 40. Early detection and treatment is the best way to beat prostate cancer. The American Urological Association Foundation recommends getting a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and a digital rectal exam or DRE - a physical exam of the prostate. PSA - a protein found in your blood that is produced by the prostate - can be measured by a blood sample taken by your provider.
- Urologist Kenneth Sparr, MD, treats all conditions of the urinary tract in men and women, especially kidney stones and prostate disease. Dr. Sparr received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He completed his post-graduate training in urologic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals and is board certified by the American Board of Urology. To make an appointment with Dr. Sparr, call Monroe Clinic at (608) 324-2300.
Prostate Information
Dr. Sparr will present the program, Men's Urinary Health: Beyond the Prostate, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, in the Monroe Clinic's Founders hall (clinic building-lower level), 515 22nd Ave., Monroe. To register, call (877) 865-1462, or visit monroeclinic.org.
Free prostate screenings will be provided from 4 to 8 p.m. Sept. 9, and 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 11, at the Monroe Clinic, urology department, on the first floor of the clinic building.
