Prostate cancer, like most cancers, happens when the cells grow and reproduce uncontrollably. Instead of the normal process of growing and dying, these cells continue to grow and reproduce new, abnormal cells resulting in small tumors in the prostate gland. Primary tumors are the original ones that reproduce themselves and spread to other organs in the body. Prostate cancer is usually comprised of many very small tumors within the prostate. At the early stages of this disease, prostate cancer can be cured by removing or killing the abnormal cells using standard interventions such as surgery or radiation. However, this stage of prostate cancer manifests few or no symptoms and maybe undetected.

A person with prostate cancer may experience difficulty in starting to pass urine, which is sometimes weak and intermittent. Dribbling of urine before and after urinating is also one of the symptoms. There is also a frequent or urgent need to pass urine, which is at times painful. Occasionally, there are traces of blood in the urine. Moreover, the person may experience erectile dysfunction. It is very important to see a doctor whenever these symptoms are experienced.

The researchers are still baffled as to what causes prostate cancer. However, cases studied revealed several common factors. Most of the time, this disease affects men who are more than 50 years old and who have close relative who had prostate or breast cancer. The African-Caribbean and African-American people have the most number of cases. High-fat diet and obesity are also considered as likely causes of prostate cancer.

These factors can be categorized into three, namely, genes, diets, and physical activities. There is nothing that can be done with the genes. People cannot choose the family in which they will be born or the race they will belong. However, they can choose their food and the activities they will get into.

A lot of researches have been done showing direct relationship between prostate cancer and the food we eat. Too many people eat unbalanced and unhealthy diet. It may be very tempting to go to a fast food chain than prepare and eat nutritious foods. However, most people do not realize that a healthy diet can do a great deal to prevent, not only prostate cancer, but also a lot of diseases and illnesses. Tomatoes, watermelons, papaya, and guava are some of the fruits that are rich in lycopene, a natural antioxidant that effectively fight cancer cells.

Regular exercise keeps people strong and healthy. Aside from making people alert for work and keeping them in shape, exercise can reduce the risks of developing prostate cancer. People affected by cancer can also cope better with the disease and the treatment when they are healthy than when their body lack exercise. Annual check up may not prevent prostate cancer but it can help the doctors detect the disease in its early stage. Nearly 100% of men diagnosed and treated at the early stages of prostate cancer were cured.