Prostate Cancer Information
Advanced Prostate Cancer
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General
Information
- General
Information
WHAT
ARE THE COSTS OF CANCER
The National
Institutes of Health estimate overall annual costs for cancer
at $107 billion; $37 billion for direct medical costs (total
of all health expenditures), $11 billion for indirect morbidity
costs (cost of lost productivity due to illness), and $59
billion for indirect mortality costs (cost of lost productivity
due to premature death). Treatments for breast, lung, and
prostate cancers account for over half of the direct medical
costs. Insurance status and barriers to health care may affect
the cost of treating cancer in this country. According to
1996 data, about 19% of Americans under age 65 have no health
insurance, and about 26% of older persons have only Medicare
coverage. During 1996, almost 18% of Americans reported not
having a usual source of health care. Also, 12% of American
families had members who experienced difficulty or delay in
obtaining care or did not receive needed health care services.
WHAT
IS THE PROSTATE?
The prostate
is a gland of the male reproductive system. It is located
in front of the rectum and just below the bladder, the organ
that stores urine. The main purpose of the prostate is to
produce fluid for semen, which transports sperm during the
male orgasm.
WHEN
DO PROSTATES DEVELOP PROBLEMS?
For men
under 40 years of age, it is likely that the prostate has
not caused any problems. But for men who are 40 and over,
the prostate may become a source of problems. For instance,
1 in 10 men will develop prostate cancer. Early stages of
prostate cancer may not cause any symptoms; thus, yearly medical
checkups are important. Other problems, such as benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate)
may cause bothersome symptoms, such as difficulty in urinating.
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