We often talk about problems that are related to the prostate gland, but do we know as to what is the function of this organ in the body. It is an organ that is located at the base or the outlet of the urinary bladder. this gland forms the very first part of the urethra. the urethra is a part or rather a passage through which the urine drains from the bladder and exits the human body. the basic and the most important function of the prostate gland is to help control the amount of urination by pressing directly against the part of the urethra that it surrounds. this gland also produces some of the substances that are found in normal semen, such as minerals and sugar. Semen is the fluid that transports the sperm to assist reproduction.
In a young man, the size of the prostate is just like a walnut. As and when the aging occurs in the human being the gland starts growing big in size. this hormone-related enlargement with aging is called benign prostatic hyperplasia but this condition has nothing to do with the occurrence of prostate cancer in the body. but this problem can cause as much difficulty to the person as it would do to the person suffering from prostate cancer. for example, an enlarged prostate gland can squeeze or impinge on the outlet of the bladder or the urethra and make it difficult for the person to pass urine normally. some other symptoms that are seen occurring are slowing of the urinary stream, or urinating quite frequently specially at night. Such patients should make a deliberate effort to seek advice from their urologist or physician if such symptoms persist for a long time.Talking about prostate cancer, it is a malignant tumor that comprises of cells from the prostate glands. Generally the tumor grows slowly and remains confined to the gland for several years. during this time the tumor does not produce any symptom in the body that would indicate toward the growth of prostate cancer. however all the prostate cancers are quite different in nature. they all produce different signs and symptoms before they actually start occurring. Few aggressive types of tumor grow rapidly in the body than the others would do and cause a significant shortening of life expectancy in the individual. the severity of prostate cancer aggressiveness is the Gleason score that is calculated by a trained pathologist observing prostate biopsy specimens under the microscope. As the cancer grows it can spread over to the other areas in the body too. It can also spread over areas like the bones, lungs and liver. but the main indicators of prostate cancer are the signs and symptoms associated with it.