Types of Prostate Diseases

The Most Common Types of Prostate Diseases

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

Prostatitis

Prostate cancer

For men over the age of 50, the prostate disease most often encountered is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). If you have BPH, your prostate has enlarged to the point that it begins to squeeze the urethra. This prevents urine from flowing easily from the bladder to the outside of the body. Although this condition is benign—the prostate tissue is not cancerous—it can still cause serious problems requiring treatment.

For men under the age of 50, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) is the most common prostate disease. It may be caused by a bacterial infection or have no identifiable cause. Either way, it can produce severe pain, burning, and disability. Prostatitis occurs in older men, as well, but is less common.

Prostate cancer, a sometimes fatal disease, usually causes few symptoms unless it has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones. It is easily curable in its early stages. It is extremely common in older men, and many have undetected prostate cancer for many years, eventually dying of unrelated conditions.