medical tests for prostate problems

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland in men that produces fluid that is a component of semen. The gland has two or more lobes--or sections--enclosed by an outer layer of tissue. Located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder, where urine is stored, the prostate surrounds the urethra, which is the canal through which urine passes out of the body.

The most common prostate problem in men under 50 is inflammation or infection, which is called prostatitis. Prostate enlargement is another common problem. Because the prostate normally continues to grow as a man matures, prostate enlargement, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH, is the most common prostate problem for men over 50. Older men are at risk for prostate cancer as well, but it is much less common than BPH.

Sometimes, different prostate problems have similar symptoms. For example, one man with prostatitis and another with BPH may both have a frequent, urgent need to urinate. Other men with BPH may have different symptoms. For example, one man may have trouble beginning a stream of urine, while another may have to get up to go to the bathroom frequently at night. A man in the early stages of prostate cancer may have no symptoms at all. This confusing array of symptoms makes a thorough medical examination and testing very important. Diagnosing the problem may require a series of tests.

male urinary tract

For More Information

More information is available from:

American Foundation for Urologic Disease
1000 Corporate Boulevard
Suite 410
Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: 1-800-828-7866 or (410) 689-3990
Email: admin@afud.org
Internet: www.urologyhealth.org

The Prostatitis Foundation
1063 30th Street, Box 8
Smithshire, IL 61478
Phone: 1-888-891-4200
Fax: (309) 325-7184
Email: mcapstone@aol.com
Internet: www.prostatitis.org

For information about prostate cancer, contact the
Cancer Information Service
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Phone: 1-800-4CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
TTY: 1-800-332-8615
Email: cancermail@icicc.nci.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.cancer.gov/ (NCI's primary website)
or cancernet.nci.nih.gov (material for professionals, patients, and the public)

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
3 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3580
Email: nkudic@info.niddk.nih.gov

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1987, the clearinghouse provides information about diseases of the kidneys and urologic system to people with kidney and urologic disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. NKUDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about kidney and urologic diseases.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts. This fact sheet was reviewed by Steven A. Kaplan, M.D., of the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and Michel A. Pontari, M.D., of the Temple University School of Medicine.

This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.

NIH Publication No. 04-5105
August 2004