Have you or someone you love been diagnosed with prostate cancer? You are not alone.

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in American men, and around one in nine men will undergo treatment for prostate cancer during their lifetime.

Prostate cancer is a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with the disease do not die from it. Because of ongoing advancements in treatment options—like the Space OAR hydrogel procedure—the outlook is good for most men facing a prostate cancer diagnosis. 

Your body often has a way of telling you when something is wrong.

When you notice things that aren’t right, those signs and symptoms might lead you to schedule an appointment with your provider to find the answers.

In most cases, specific symptoms can connect the dots for a diagnosis.

For prostate cancer, though, a little detective work is required for diagnosis. Patients with prostate cancer usually show no signs of having the condition.

As you get older, the harder it may be for you to make it through a full night’s sleep without having to go to the bathroom at least once.

For obvious reasons—unlike dealing with a perpetually runny nose—coping with an overactive bladder is the type of nuisance you can’t just ignore and hope will go away.

As with most forms of cancerous disease, researchers and medical professionals are not sure as to what causes prostate cancer.

On a basic level, a prostate cancer diagnosis could be from an acquired genetic change in the DNA of a normal prostate cell. Some genetic changes can be inherited, making family history an important thing to look at when determining your risk for prostate cancer.

Without a clear understanding of what causes prostate cancer, the best thing you can do is know the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, and what can happen if left unnoticed or untreated.