The three most common conditions to affect the prostate gland are benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), prostatitis and prostate cancer.
Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH, also known as prostatic hyperplasia): a condition characterized by an enlarged prostate gland.“Benign” refers to the fact that the condition is not cancerous or malignant. “Prostatic” refers to the prostate, and “hypertrophy” means overgrowth. More on BPH
Prostatitis: an umbrella term that describes a group of inflammatory prostate disorders that have related prostate symptoms. The “itis”—a suffix that means “inflammation”—means “inflammation of the prostate.” According to the Professional Guide to Diseases, 9th ed., as many as 35 percent of men older than 50 have chronic prostatitis and about 50 percent of males will be diagnosed with prostatitis at some point during their lives. Read more on prostatitis
Prostate cancer: the development of a malignant growth or tumor caused by uncontrolled or abnormal cell division in the tissues of the prostate gland. An estimated 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2010, and an estimated 32,050 men will die of the disease. It is the second most common cancer among men in the United States, and it most often develops in men older than age 65. Read more on prostate cancer
See also
BPH, Prostatitis and Urinary Tract Infections in Men
