Prostate cancer is any neoplasia that started in the prostate gland. It is an exocrine gland of the male reproductive system, located just below the bladder, just in front of the rectum. Exocrine glands release their secretions onto the surface of the body or into hollow internal organs. The secretions of the prostate gland, which is about the size of a walnut, form the ejaculate. The urethra passes through the prostate and carries its secretions out of the body during ejaculation. The prostate contains thousands of tiny glands that produce a fluid that nourishes the sperm. In the vast majority of cases, cancer originates in glandular cells. These are the so-called adenocarcinomas. These are mostly slow-growing tumors. They begin as precancerous changes in the cells, i.e. changes that are not yet malignant, but lead to the further degeneration of cells. These changes are referred to as dysplasia. According to some clinicians, almost half of 50-year-old men have dysplasia of some part of the prostate cells, to one degree or another. A high degree of dysplasia implies a high risk of the development of cancer cells. Such patients require strict monitoring and the conduct of further biopsies – the taking of prostate tissue, which is subjected to microscopic examination. The development of prostate cancer, like most types of cancer in general, is not due to a single cause, but is the result of complex interactions of a large number of factors. The following factors increase the risk of disease: NEWS_MORE_BOX 1. Age It is considered as the leading risk factor. Prostate cancer is rare in men under the age of 45, with the majority of cases diagnosed after age 50. Furthermore, the true incidence is likely to be significantly higher than reported, as many men are living with undiagnosed prostate cancer. 2. Genetic (hereditary) predisposition The importance of genetic factors has been categorically confirmed. Prostate cancer is more common among certain racial and population groups – for example, in the US, African-Americans suffer from prostate cancer much more often than white Americans. Also, men who have a brother with prostate cancer are at a much higher than average risk. Scientists have identified two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which there is reason to suspect are involved in triggering the disease. They are also available in women, but in them they are associated with the onset of breast or ovarian cancer. 3. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Studies have shown that men who have had gonorrhea develop prostate cancer more often than the average for their age group.