First of all, I remind you that the prostate belongs to the accessory glands of the male reproductive system. Its main function is to produce prostate fluid and to secrete it during ejaculation. In this way, the prostate ensures greater survival and sperm motility. Anatomically, the most important thing to remember is that through the prostate the urethra runs, which is the channel that carries urine and seminal fluid to the outside. Furthermore, the prostate is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Due to its particular anatomical position and the functions in which it is involved , the prostate affects urination, erection and ejaculation. Consequently, if there are problems with these physiological processes it is possible that there is a disease affecting the prostate. Prostatic diseases are extremely common, especially with advancing in age. For example, the prostate may increase in size causing urination disturbances, become inflamed, causing discomfort and pain, or even be affected by tumors benign or malignant. These three conditions - that is, the increase in volume, inflammation and neoplastic transformation - allow to distinguish as many categories of prostatic diseases, which in the order are called benign prostatic hypertrophy when there is an enlargement, prostatitis when there is a inflammation and cancer of the prostate when there is a malignant tumor.
Let's now see in detail all these conditions. Let's start with prostatitis, that is, with inflammation of the prostate gland. The causes that determine the onset of this inflammatory process are many, and not always easy to identify. The cause is in many cases a bacterial infection, often affecting the urinary tract. The bacteria responsible are mostly intestinal germs, therefore fecal, such as the "Escherichia coli. Unprotected sexual intercourse and the use of urinary catheters increase the risk of bacterial prostatitis. However, it should be noted that prostatitis can arise even in the absence of an infectious process. In some apparently inexplicable circumstances, the participation of several predisposing factors is assumed, including including stress, immune disorders, traumatic injuries, etc. Sometimes, inflammation of the prostate can also be caused by incorrect dietary regimes, excessive alcohol intake, as well as by the intensive use of cycles and motorcycles. Whatever the cause, prostate inflammation can have an acute or chronic course. In the first case the symptoms arise abruptly and in a very evident way, while in the case of chronic prostatitis the symptoms are milder and the disturbances persist over time. As for the symptoms, prostatitis can manifest itself with burning and frequent urge to urinate, with the presence of blood in the urine or semen and with the onset of pain during sexual intercourse or ejaculation. In some cases, the patient suffering from prostatitis may also experience non-specific symptoms, such as fever and pain at the perineal level, that is, in the area between the anus and the base of the penis. Prostatitis can be treated mainly with anti-inflammatory drugs and, in cases of bacterial infection, it is possible to resort to antibiotic therapy.
Another pathology that can affect the prostate is the so-called prostatic hypertrophy or enlarged prostate. It is a benign disease characterized by a proliferation of prostate tissue. The result is an increase in the volume of the gland, more correctly described by the term benign prostatic hyperplasia. This disease is very common, especially in men aged 40/50. In fact, with advancing age, the prostate tends to increase its volume; to explain this phenomenon, hormonal variations and the action of numerous growth factors during aging are called into question. The result of a significant enlargement of the prostate is the appearance of urinary disorders. Symptoms rather indicative of prostatic hyperplasia therefore, the urgency and frequency of the urination stimulus, both day and night, the weakness of the urinary jet, the burning during and after urination and the sense of incomplete bladder emptying are benign. To tell the truth, there are also prostatic hyperplasias mild and asymptomatic benign, that is, they do not cause problems for the patient. The doctor, after confirming the diagnosis with a visit and some specific clinical tests, may indicate, depending on the severity, simple medical surveillance, pharmacological treatment or surgery .
Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in the male population, followed by non-melanoma skin cancers and lung cancer. Rarely, prostate cancer is found before the age of 40. According to Italian statistical data, before the age of 44 he does not appear in the list of the 5 most frequent neoplasms. The causes of prostate cancer are still not fully understood. However, we know several risk factors and some conditions that increase the probability of occurrence. The most important risk factors are undoubtedly the familiarity for the disease and the age of over 40; even people of African-American ethnicity are more exposed to the risk of prostate cancer than other ethnic groups. increase even in the presence of certain conditions, such as chronic or recurrent inflammation of the prostate, high levels of male hormones, especially dihydrotestosterone, smoking, obesity and a diet rich in animal fats. antioxidants in general, together with soy and its derivatives could instead have a protective role.
Prostate cancer includes a variety of forms, from those with very slow growth, which may not cause disturbances over a lifetime, to other more aggressive forms, which instead grow rapidly. Precisely the latter, the so-called malignant forms, are the most dangerous neoplasms. First of all they are dangerous because they can spread outside the gland, using the blood and the lymphatic system. Malignant tumors therefore have the potential to spread to other parts of the body, that is, they can lead to the onset of metastases. Prostate cancer is a pathology that is sometimes complicated to detect, because in the initial stages it tends to be asymptomatic. Furthermore, when symptoms are present, they can be confused with those resulting from benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis. In fact, the patient suffering from prostate cancer may experience an increase in the frequency of urination, both day and night, difficulty in starting urination, a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder, burning and difficulty in having an erection. Unfortunately, in most cases these disorders only emerge when the tumor is already in a locally advanced stage. For this reason, the presence and persistence, even if only of some of these symptoms, must induce the patient to carry out a urological examination. This will allow to establish a correct diagnosis and to undertake the most appropriate treatment for the case.
