What Does the Prostate Gland Do?

The prostate, found only in men, is a tiny, walnut-sized muscular gland in front of the rectum and just below the bladder. It surrounds the urethra, which transports urine to the penis from the bladder, and is essential for the normal functioning of the male genitourinary system. The prostate makes prostatic fluid, which forms a substantial portion of semen. During ejaculation the prostate contracts and closes off the opening between the urethra and bladder, ensuring that prostatic fluid squirts into the urethra and semen is pushed out at speed.

So what does the prostate do?

The prostate is not an essential organ for life, but it’s quite crucial for reproduction. It plays an active part in reproduction by secreting the prostatic fluid, which forms part of healthy semen — the perfect environment for the transit and survival of sperm. Healthy semen includes the enzyme PSA (often measured during screening for prostate cancer), together with other substances secreted in the prostate and seminal vesicles, such as citrate, zinc and fructose, which supply sperm with the energy to travel to the egg. There are also various antibodies in semen to protect sperm and the urinary tract from bacteria and different pathogens.

What are the constituents of prostatic fluid?

The prostate secretes a milky fluid, the prostatic fluid, which makes up about 30 percent of the total fluid that’s ejaculated. The prostatic fluid contains various ingredients, such as enzymes, citric acid and zinc, which keeps sperm alive and protects them and the genetic codes they carry. PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is one of the enzymes in the fluid that, after ejaculation, makes semen runnier and helps sperm travel through semen more easily, which increases the likelihood of successful fertilization of an egg. While prostatic fluid is weakly acidic, the other constituents of semen turn it alkaline overall, which helps to counteract vaginal acidity and prevent damage of sperm.

Growth of the prostate

The prostate grows bigger as men age. Typically the prostate undergoes growth during adolescence driven by the male hormone, testosterone, and the hormone’s byproduct, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Testosterone hormone is primarily produced in the testes, but smaller quantities also can be secreted in the adrenal glands found just above the kidneys. By the age of 40 the prostate might have grown from a walnut-sized to apricot-sized gland. And by the age of 60 it might have reached the size of a lemon.

Benign prostatic enlargement (BPH)

While the prostate is strategically located to deliver the prostatic fluid and squeeze things along during ejaculation, its position around the urethra makes it a liability when it grows or gets bigger. A swollen prostate will compress the urethra and irritate the walls of the bladder, resulting in interference with normal urine flow. In fact, over 50 percent of all men in their 60s have symptoms of prostate enlargement, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). And by the age of 70 to 80, a man’s risk of BPH increases to 90 percent, with symptoms such as leaking or dribbling urine, frequent urination, weak or stuttered urine stream.

While the size of your prostate will not always influence how severe the obstruction or symptoms are, BPH can cause serious complications over time, such as urinary tract infections, bladder damage, kidney damage, incontinence and bladder stones, due to bladder strain and urinary retention. So it’s important to see a urologist as soon as you have urinary issues so BPH can be detected early and treated.

Prostate cancer

Another health problem associated with the prostate is prostate cancer, which is the most frequent cancer in men. It occurs in 1 out of 7 men over their lifetime, and more than 200,000 men are diagnosed with the cancer annually. Prostate cancer is frequent in men age 50 and older, but the largest number of cases is found in men 70 to 80 years old. About 3.8 percent of men diagnosed with the cancer die of the disease, while 7 in 10 newly diagnosed patients currently survive past 5 years. As doctors, our role is to screen for the cancer, detect aggressive forms early and prevent any problems that may occur due to obstruction.

So what’s your role?

Tell your doctor about your urinary problems as soon as possible. The symptoms may not only suggest BPH, but also may indicate a more serious condition. With a prompt visit to the doctor, a more serious condition such as prostate cancer can be ruled out.

Want to know more about BPH, prostate cancer and other urological problems? Visit the “Advanced Urology Institute” site.

Treating Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among American men. In fact, it is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer in men, with over 2 million American men currently living with the cancer. Statistically, a new case arises every 3 minutes, one in six American men has prostate cancer, while an American man dies of it every 19 minutes.

Making treatment decisions

At Advanced Urology Institute, we make every effort to deliver world-class treatment and care for patients with prostate cancer. After a diagnosis, our physicians review various treatment options before picking any treatment for the patient. We also conduct further studies, such as biomarker testing and imaging studies, to ensure that we have correctly established the stage or extent of the disease. We use this information to make the right decisions and give prostate cancer patients the most effective treatments. We choose treatment options depending on the cancer itself (high-risk, intermediate risk or low-risk) and patient factors (personal preferences, age and other health issues).

Prostate cancer treatment options

Advanced Urology Institute offers a wide range of innovative and effective diagnostic and treatment procedures for patients with prostate cancer. At the institute, newly diagnosed patients get the opportunity to meet and discuss their condition with renowned and experienced specialists on the same day.

Our treatment options include:

  1. Active surveillance: For a low-risk prostate cancer that may not harm a patient over the course of his lifetime, urologists at AUI usually recommend close observation. It often comes with secondary chemoprevention.
  2. Prostatectomy: Prostatectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the prostate. For localized prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy may be employed. However, at Advanced Urology Institute, we commonly apply the robot-assisted technique, which is a minimally-invasive, laparoscopic procedure.
  3. Radiation: An external beam of radiation is directed at the prostate in order to kill cancerous cells.
  4. Cryotherapy: Probes are inserted into the prostate gland to allow for the introduction of liquid nitrogen into the gland. Once administered, liquid nitrogen produces an ice ball inside the prostate which destroys cancerous cells.
  5. Brachytherapy: A radioactive seed is implanted in the prostate. The procedure involves inserting and removing the needles that are used to place radioactive seeds inside the prostate.
  6. Hormone therapy: Various medications can be administered to reduce or inhibit the secretion of testosterone hormone. Diminished quantities of testosterone means reduced or no growth of the cancer.
  7. Chemotherapy: Certain drugs may be used to boost the effectiveness of the other treatments, both for metastatic and localized disease.

Multi-disciplinary treatment and care

At Advanced Urology Institute, our goal is to cure prostate cancer while also maximizing the quality of life of our patients. We carefully weigh the benefits of every treatment option against the side effects and develop the most practical individualized treatment programs for all patients. We also believe that effective management of prostate cancer needs extensive collaboration. We have implemented a multidisciplinary approach to treatment that allows our various specialists, such as urologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and clinical trial nurses to deliberate and get diverse, specialized perspectives before making treatment decisions for any patient. During AUI conferences, detailed discussions among experts help to clarify the benefits and risks of various diagnostic tests and treatment options, resulting in better treatment outcomes for our patients.

Advanced Urology Institute uses image-guided targeting, MRI, ultrasound and fusing 3-D guidance to boost the accuracy and usefulness of prostate biopsies. We also apply minimally-invasive, outpatient procedures in most cases. So, with our comprehensive consultation service and multidisciplinary approach that incorporates the latest technologies, research developments and expertise, all our patients can be sure of the best possible prostate cancer treatment. Want help with prostate cancer? Get more information from our “Advanced Urology Institute” site.