'It's not always prostate cancer.'

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.

The bladder is a muscular sack that store urine. When it fills with urine, a signal is sent to trigger urination. Conditions that irritate the bladder will cause frequency, urgent urination, waking a night to urinate, loss of control of urine, blood in the urine and burning. These conditions include (but are not limited to) bladder infections, bladder stones, bladder cancer, pelvic radiation, neurological diseases and prostate enlargement.

The prostate begins to enlarge annually when a man reaches his mid-30s. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) affects almost 40 million men in the U.S. This enlargement is a natural component of the aging process that affects more than 70 percent of men in their 70s. Normal cells of the prostate also produce PSA, which can become elevated due to this enlargement. The enlarging prostate compresses the urethra and base of the bladder. This enlargement can result in irritation of the bladder and blockage of the flow of urine. This results in irritation of the bladder with the previously described symptoms. But also weakened flow, dribbling, intermittent flow, hesitancy, incomplete emptying and deviated stream.

The prostate can also become inflamed, resulting in a condition known as prostatitis. This inflammation can be bacterial, viral or idiopathic. Bacterial and viral prostatitis can be the result of a sexually transmitted disease, a urine infection, or any condition that facilitates the entry of bacteria into the prostate gland. Idiopathic prostatitis is inflammation of unknown origin and is probably the most common. This condition can elevate PSA levels and result in irritative and obstructive urination symptoms.

The urethra, below the prostate, can be affected by scar tissue, which is also called stricture disease. This scarring results in narrowing of the urethra and obstruction of the flow of urine. The blockage of normal flow results in the same symptoms as seen in obstruction by an enlarged prostate.

There obviously are several conditions that can affect prostate and urinary tract in men. Black men can be very reluctant when it comes to health issues. All of these conditions are easily treated when identified early in their evolution. However, if untreated, these conditions often result in significant complications, including erectile dysfunction, inability to pass urine, severe infection and in rare cases, kidney failure. Please seek the consultation of a urologist or your primary physician. Ignore theses symptoms and you may find yourself in an emergency room.

Send questions or comments for this column to Talk To EBONY at www.ebonyjet.com, or mail them to HOUSE CALL, EBONY, 820 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605. Answers to all questions are checked with a physician. This information is not intended as a substitute for individual, professional medical treatment. Due to the volume of mail received, we cannot give personal replies.

Bibliography for "'It's not always prostate cancer.'"

Brian A. Stone "'It's not always prostate cancer.'". Ebony. Sept 2007. FindArticles.com. 03 Oct. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_11_62/ai_n19480187