This week's artwork was donated by Sharon, a pediatric cancer patient who received treatment at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . The prostate is a gland that is part of the male reproductive system. About the size of a walnut, the prostate gland is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum, at the base of the penis.
Cancer is a group of diseases that are characterized by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.
It can occur in almost any part of the body, including the prostate gland. Aside from skin cancer, cancer of the prostate gland is the most common cancer among American men. In 1998, it is estimated that 250,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with the disease. At current rates, it is also estimated that 1 in 3 American men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime. Prostate cancer is the second only to lung cancer in cancer deaths among American men.