What diseases can affect the prostate gland?
There are three main conditions that affect the prostate: 1. enlargement medically called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH (sometimes called benign prostatic hypertrophy, but the meaning is the same). A very enlarged prostate will weigh about 40-50 grammes. 2. prostate cancer, and 3. inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis), usually as a result of urinary tract infections. In this booklet, only the first two of these conditions will be considered.
