Know Your Prostate or it might Gnaw You

The prostate is a glandular organ present only in males. It is normally 20 cc in size and lies at the neck of the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds the urethra, which is a tubular structure that carries sperm and urine out of the penis. The job of prostate is to produce a thin, milky fluid that will make the ejaculate liquefy.

Prostate can get enlarged as we get older. The growth can be a noncancerous condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy that causes urinary symptoms or it can be cancer occurs when normal cells undergo a transformation in which they grow and multiply without normal controls. The top 4 cancers of males in Bahrain are Bladder cancer, Prostate cancer, Lung cancer and Leukemia.

The cause of prostate cancer is unknown, but hormonal, genetic, environmental, and dietary factors are thought to play roles. Most prostate cancers initially are silent and have no symptoms. It has to be detected by active examination before it gnaws you. Prostate cancers are discovered by doing regular health examination like digital rectal exam and a blood test called prostate specific antigen blood test. If the clinical examination and blood test are abnormal you may need a biopsy to confirm prostate cancer.

The usual symptoms associated with prostate enlargement are difficulty in starting the urinary stream, increase in frequency of urination, pain while urinating, intermittent streams, night time urination, urine leakage, sense of incomplete emptying, blood in urine, painful ejaculation.

All the major International health agencies like European and American cancer societies recommend annual screening for men over the age of 50 yrs. and over the age of 45 yrs. those with a family history of prostate cancer.

Dr. Ravisankar Pillai, [MBBS, MD, FEBU] is a Specialist Urologist at Royal Bahrain Hospital. For more information or to book your appointment, call 1724 6800 or plan your visit at www.royalbahrainhospital.com.