Prostate cancer is the malignant enlargement of the prostate gland in men. Until the age of about 45-50 years, the prostate remains fairly constant in size. After this age, the gland can enlarge and affect the normal process of passing urine.
Prostate cancer is a significant health problem.
It is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in Australian men, causing about 2,500 deaths each year. Prostate cancer mainly affects men in older age groups. The risk factors and the causes of the disease are not known. Although the natural history of the disease is not well understood, it is known that the tumour is usually slow growing and many older men with the disease die of some other cause before the tumour becomes life threatening or even causes symptoms. Although the number of men who die from prostate cancer is not changing greatly, the reported incidence is rising.