Understanding Prostate Cancer

What is Prostate Cancer?

In general, cancer is a condition in which a normal cell becomes abnormal and starts to grow uncontrollably without having the signals or “brakes” that stop typical cell growth. The prostate is a small gland located below the bladder that is responsible for secreting one of the components of semen.

Prostate cancer occurs when a normal prostate cell becomes altered and starts growing in an uncontrolled way. Prostate cancer cells form masses of abnormal cells known as tumors.

How Common is Prostate Cancer?

Approximately one in eight men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, about the same rate as breast cancer in women. For African American men, the rate is one in six. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men, after skin cancer. In 2026, about 333,830 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S., and about 36,320 patients will die of the disease. Worldwide, more than 1.4 million men are diagnosed each year.

Learn more about potential symptoms of prostate cancer.