Patient/caregiver was instructed upon pathophysiology of prostate cancer as follows:
- Prostate is a gland in males that surrounds the urethra and located between the urinary bladder and penis.
- Prostate gland secretes prostatic fluid, which nourishes sperm cells produced by the testicles. By nourishing the sperm cells and maintaining them viable, prostate gland helps with male fertility.
- For reasons unclear, prostate gland in some individuals can develop cancerous growths.
- Cancerous growths can be of many types. Depending on the type of cancer, some cancerous growths can be slow to grow and be limited to the prostate. Some other cancerous growths can be very rapid to grow and spread to distant sites, bone being the most common site of spread.
- Depending on how aggressive the cancer is, treatment options for prostate cancer can vary. Many prostate cancers grow slow and can be confined to the gland for long periods of time, thus needing only minimal treatments. Few prostate cancers spread to distant sites very quickly and so, need aggressive treatments, such as, total removal of prostate, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
