What is Prostate Cancer Cancer of the prostate is currently the most common type of cancer in men over 40 and one of the most fatal. In the US alone, over 300,000 men are diagnosed each year and more than 40,000 will die from the disease. It is much more likely to develop in older men than those who are young.
Many prostate cancers grow very slowly.
A man may live for many years without ever having prostate cancer discovered. However, there are times the cancer is aggressive and spreads quickly. As the cancer grows, the prostate enlarges. Eventually the prostate squeezes the urethra, which it surrounds. When this happens, symptoms develop.