What causes BPH?
It’s caused by a non-cancerous overgrowth of tissue in the middle part of the prostate, but we don’t know what actually starts this process off or allows it to progress. We do know that the male hormone testosterone is involved, as men who have been castrated at an early age (and so don’t produce testosterone) never develop BPH. We also know that testosterone triggers the release of substances in the body called growth factors which can stimulate tissue growth. But why this happens in some men but not others is still not clear. The condition does seem to run in families.
It’s caused by a benign (ie non-cancerous) overgrowth of tissue in the middle part of the prostate, but we don’t know what actually starts this process off or allows it to progress. We do know that the male hormone testosterone is involved, as men who have been castrated at an early age (and so don’t produce testosterone) never develop BPH. We also know that testosterone triggers the release of substances in the body called growth factors which can stimulate tissue growth. But why this happens in some men but not others is still not clear. The condition does seem to run in some families.
