by Brian A. Stone
Medical experts, such as Dr. Brian A. Stone, say African-American men are exceedingly vulnerable to prostate cancer, but that symptoms usually associated with the disease can also be associated with other conditions.
Just in case you didn't know, prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men. Over 200,000 cases are diagnosed and almost 30,000 men die from this disease annually. The bad news is that men of African descent in America die from prostate cancer three times the rate of Caucasians. Prostate cancer is typically a silent invader. The majority of cases are detected based on an abnormal blood test called PSA (prostate specific antigen). The normal range for PSA in a man between 40 and 60 years of age is 0 to 2.5. When this test is elevated, the diagnosis of prostate cancer is made based on a biopsy of the gland. Some patients with prostate cancer develop problems with urination--frequency, waking at night to urinate, a weak flow, severe urgency, hesitation of flow, incomplete emptying, deviated stream and difficulty postponing urination.
The good news is that there are other non-cancerous conditions that can affect the prostate and cause the same symptoms as prostate cancer. The prostate gland is a small, chestnut shaped organ, found only in the male. It is located beneath the bladder and acts as a conduit through which urine flows. The prostate is a part of the urethra, which is the tube that passes from the bladder to the penis. Conditions that affect the urethra can also cause symptoms that can be seen in prostate cancer.
Source: http://findarticles.com/
