The normal prostate gland is the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. Both the number of new cases of prostate cancer and the number of deaths due to prostate cancer have increased in the past decade. Anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor. The chance of developing prostate cancer increases as men get older. Race - Black males are more likely to develop prostate cancer than white males.
Black males are also more likely to die of prostate cancer than white males.
Other potential risk factors include alcohol consumption, vitamin or mineral interactions, and other dietary habits. For this examination, the doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate gland through the rectal wall to check for bumps or abnormal areas. Although this test has been used for many years, whether DRE is effective in decreasing the number of deaths from prostate cancer has not been determined. The waves bounce off the prostate gland and produce echoes that a computer uses to create a picture called a sonogram. Doctors examine the sonogram for echoes that might represent abnormal areas.