Prostate gland

Permanent prostate brachytherapy Permanent prostate brachytherapy involves placing many radioactive seeds within the prostate to treat prostate cancer. During the procedure, an ultrasound probe is placed in the rectum to help guide the placement of seeds. The seeds emit radiation that dissipates over a few months. Prostate brachytherapy (brak-e-THER-uh-pee) is a form of radiation therapy used to treat prostate cancer. Prostate brachytherapy involves placing radioactive sources in the prostate gland, where the radiation can kill the cancer cells while causing less damage to healthy tissue nearby. Types of prostate brachytherapy Prostate brachytherapy procedures vary based on the type: • High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. HDR brachytherapy is a temporary type of prostate brachytherapy that involves placing radioactive sources in the prostate gland and delivering a high dose of radiation in a few minutes before the sources are removed. Typical treatment may involve several sessions. • Low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy. LDR brachytherapy is permanent prostate brachytherapy that involves placing radioactive seeds in the prostate gland permanently, where they slowly release radiation over several months. What you experience during brachytherapy depends on whether you receive HDR or LDR treatment. Prostate cancer Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate gland. The gland sits just below the bladder in males. It surrounds the top part of the tube that drains urine from the bladder, ...

Enlarged prostate, also called There are many different treatment options for BPH, ranging from behavior medications to surgery. A minimally invasive option is bipolar enucleation of the prostate, or BipoLEP. If you are considering treatment, here's what you need to know. Prostate anatomy The prostate is a small organ that sits at the bottom of the bladder. The urethra, the tube the drains the bladder, runs through the middle of the prostate. Early in a man’s life, the prostate is roughly the size of a walnut or a small tangerine. Often around 50, the prostate increases in size. For some men, this change closes off the urethra and makes it more difficult for the bladder to empty. The prostate has two parts. The adenoma is the inner part that surrounds urethra. It is the part of the prostate that grows as men get older. The capsule is the outer part of the prostate and does not change in size over the course of life. A good analogy is to think of an orange. The orange peel represents the capsule, and the fruit represents the adenoma. Removal of prostate tissue One treatment for BPH is called enucleation of the prostate. Using the orange analogy, the goal of this option is to remove the fruit (the adenoma) from the inside while leaving the peel (the capsule) behind. This technique results in a wide-open channel for the urine to pass out of the bladder. There are different ways to perform a prostate enucleation: • Through a large open incision called a simple prostatectomy • ...

• Anterior lobe: This front portion is positioned right in front of the urethra. It consists of fibromuscular—rather than glandular—tissue. • Median lobe: This is a cone-shaped portion of the prostate. The median lobe sits between the two ejaculatory ducts (which deliver sperm to the • Lateral lobes: The right and left lateral lobes comprise the majority of the body of the prostate. Their rear (posterior) ends are continuous. They’re separated by the prostatic urethra, which is the widest part of the urethra. • Posterior lobe: The rear-facing lobe of the prostate is connected to the lateral lobes. This is the part of the prostate that your doctor feels when they • Central zone: This portion of the prostate surrounds the ejaculatory ducts. It makes up 25% of the gland's mass. • Peripheral zone: Making up 70% of this organ, this zone surrounds the majority of the central zone. It also wraps around a portion of the prostatic urethra. • Transition zone: This smaller portion represents 5% of the prostate. It encircles the part of the urethra between the urinary bladder and verumontanum, a structure towards the floor of the urethra. The prostate is shaped like a cone. It sits between the penis and bladder, just in front of the rectum. It has five lobes, three zones, and several tubes that pass through it. Anatomical variations, such as missing or extra lobes, are uncommon but can occur. Function The prostate is a supportive organ of the male reproductive system. It serves an ess...

Overview Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a health issue that becomes more common with age. It's also called an enlarged prostate. The prostate is a small gland that helps make semen. It's found just below the bladder. And it often gets bigger as you get older. An enlarged prostate can cause symptoms that may bother you, such as blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder. It also can cause bladder, urinary tract or kidney problems. Symptoms Common symptoms of BPH include: • Frequent or urgent need to pee, also called urination. • Peeing more often at night. • Trouble starting to pee. • Weak urine stream, or a stream that stops and starts. • Dribbling at the end of urination. • Not being able to fully empty the bladder. Less common symptoms include: • Urinary tract infection. • Not being able to pee. • Blood in the urine. The symptoms of BPH tend to slowly get worse. But sometimes they stay the same or even improve over time. The size of the prostate doesn't always determine how serious the symptoms are. Some people with slightly enlarged prostates can have major symptoms. Others who have very enlarged prostates can have minor problems. And some people with enlarged prostates don't have any symptoms at all. Other possible causes of urinary symptoms Some other health problems can lead to symptoms that are like those caused by enlarged prostate. These include: • Urinary tract infection. • Inflamed prostate. • Narrowing of the urethra, the tube that carries urine out o...

The prostate gland isn't big—about the size of a walnut—but its location virtually guarantees problems if something goes awry. The prostate gland is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It also wraps around the upper part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. That means prostate problems can affect urination and sexual function. The prostate is prone to three main conditions: Prostatitis: infection or inflammation of the prostate; Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): aging-related enlargement of the prostate gland; and Prostate cancer: the growth of cancerous cells inside the prostate, which may break out of the gland and affect other parts of the body. Prostate function - What does my prostate do? Your prostate plays a key role in reproduction. Although it’s the testicles that produce sperm, the prostate (along with tiny neighboring organs called seminal vesicles) helps produce semen—the viscous fluid in which sperm travel. Here’s what happens when you ejaculate. Within the prostate, a series of ducts lined with fluid-producing cells pushes prostatic fluid out into the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder) where it joins both the sperm produced by the testicles and the fluids generated by the seminal vesicles (narrow glands located on each side of the prostate). Theprostate consists of two lobes, right and left, and it’s wider at its base. The base of the prostate is higher up in your body, wher...

Hello. I'm Dr. Humphreys, a urologist at Mayo Clinic, and I'm here to answer some of the important questions you may have about prostate cancer. How do you know how fast my cancer is growing? If you have low to intermediate risk prostate cancer, there are genomic tests that can better inform on the risk of developing a more aggressive cancer. These tests look at the DNA of your actual cancer cells to compare them to other men, to come up with an individual risk profile for you and your cancer. None of it is 100%, but it does provide the best evidence based on your specific prostate cancer. Is prostate cancer sexually transmitted? No, there's no risk to your partner from prostate cancer. There's no risk with sexual activity. Prostate cancer is internal and does not spread through contact. Is prostate cancer hereditary? Some prostate cancers are hereditary. If you have prostate cancer, all of your first-degree relatives -- parent, sibling, or child -- are at an elevated risk for developing prostate cancer. If you are diagnosed when you're young in your 40s and develop prostate cancer, you may want to consider a genetic consultation to see if there are any known genetic risk factors that you and your family may have. What can I do to prevent or slow prostate cancer? There's no one thing. A healthy lifestyle with 30 minutes of exercise a day has shown to be protective. Also, diet is important by limiting red meat and eating fresh fruits and vegetables, low in sugars and carboh...

Image Source © 2014 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. Side View of the Prostate The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis. The prostate is just in front of the rectum. The urethra runs through the center of the prostate, from the bladder to the penis, letting urine flow out of the body. The prostate secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes this fluid into the urethra, and it’s expelled with sperm as semen. The vasa deferentia (singular: vas deferens) bring sperm from the testes to the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles contribute fluid to semen during ejaculation. Prostate Conditions • Prostatitis: Inflammation of the prostate, sometimes caused by infection. It is typically treated with antibiotics. • • Prostate Tests • Digital rectal examination (DRE): A doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate. A DRE can sometimes detect an enlarged prostate, lumps or nodules of prostate cancer, or tenderness from prostatitis. • Prostate-specific antigen (PSA): The prostate makes a protein called PSA, which can be measured by a blood test. If PSA is high, prostate cancer is more likely, but an enlarged prostate can also cause a high PSA. Recommendations about whether or not a man should be screened and at what age differ. Talk with your doctor about whether you need testing and the potential benefits and risks. • Prostate ultrasound (transrectal ultrasound):...