The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and is located in front of the rectum, behind the base of the penis, and under the bladder. It is found only in men, and produces some of the seminal fluid, which protects and nourishes sperm cells. The prostate surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen out of the penis. Nerves close to the prostate take part in causing an erection of the penis, and treatments that remove or damage these nerves can cause erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence. Prostate cancer cells may eventually spread outside of the gland to other parts of the body.
Most prostate cancers grow very slowly, especially in older men.
Such tumors may have been present for years before being diagnosed, so older men with the disease generally will die of other causes rather than from prostate cancer itself. Survival after a diagnosis of prostate cancer continues to decline beyond five years. Sources used for this fact sheet come from the American Cancer Society and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center . Proceeds of the Prostate Cancer Climb will go exclusively to funding education and research. No portion of the proceeds will be designated for operating or administrative expenses.