Dear visitor,

Do you wish to inform yourself about the prostate? The following description gives you a short overview about the organ and prostate carcinoma. For more details please see our patient brochure.

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•    Patient Brochure_German

The prostate is a small gland of the male reproductive system. It is located directly below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. The prostate produces the seminal fluid, which transports the sperm during ejaculation. On both sides it has a group of nerves, the neurovascular bundles. These nerves are important for the erectile process. The size and shape of the prostate is similar to a chestnut.

According to publications of the Robert-Koch-Institut, the prostate carcinoma is the most common cancer amongst men. Prostate cancer normally grows at a very slow pace and can even grow for years without any symptoms. Nevertheless, the tumour may be highly aggressive and spread rapidly to other parts of the body. The exact cause of prostate cancer remains unknown, however a number of factors increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. The most common factors are age, race and family history. Prostate cancer rarely occurs before the age of 45. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age. Men of African origin may be a higher risk group as well as men with a family history of prostate cancer. Diet may be a factor in the incidence of prostate cancer as incidence rates are generally higher in countries where meat and animal fat consumption is higher.