Prostate Disease in the Aging Male

Abstract

Prostate cancer is commonly found in older men. Whether its presence is clinically significant, requiring screening or treatment has been intensely debated, fueled by the indolent nature of many cancers as well as the competing cardiovascular mortality of this age group. Risk factors include age, race and family history. Diet has been linked to prostate cancer risk and is being investigated both for understanding the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and for use in supplements in preventing prostate cancer. In the past two decades the advent of serum marker, Prostate Specific Antigen [PSA], and definitions of pre- neoplastic lesions have brought new understandings and questions to the etiology and epidemiology of prostate cancer. This chapter will focus on the function of the prostate, pathological definitions and grading, PSA and its role in the debate, epidemiology and risk factors of prostate cancer. Current treatments and prevention trials will be reviewed