Prostate gland is found exclusively in men and is often the site of the disease in men. A large proportion of men will develop enlargement of the prostate as they age. Most of these men have a benign (non-malignant) enlargement called BPH but some men develop cancer. One can differentiate between these two by a physical examination and blood test (called the PSA or prostate specific antigen). In men with BPH, treatment may consist of reassurance alone, medication or rarely, endoscopic surgery (called TUR). For cancer prostate, the treatment is based on the extent of disease. In early cancer, radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy are the treatment of choice while for advanced cancer, hormonal therapy forms the mainstay of treatment.
Dr KVR Prasad contributed a chapter entitled ‘Diagnosis of early prostate cancer’ to the book Advances in Oncology in 2004.