What is the Difference Between Prostatitis and Prostate Cancer

The key difference between prostatitis and prostate cancer is that prostatitis is inflammation or swelling of the prostate gland, while prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate.

The prostate gland is located just below the bladder in men. It usually surrounds the top portion of the urethra, which drains urine from the bladder. The main function of the prostate gland is to produce seminal fluid, which nourishes and helps in the transportation of sperm. Therefore, prostatitis and prostate cancer are two different medical conditions that affect the prostate gland.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Prostatitis
3. What is Prostate Cancer
4. Similarities – Prostatitis and Prostate Cancer
5. Prostatitis vs Prostate Cancer in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Prostatitis vs Prostate Cancer

What is Prostatitis?

Prostatitis is a condition that causes inflammation or swelling in the prostate gland. The prostate is located between the penis and the bladder. This gland produces a fluid called seminal fluid, which is mixed with sperm to create semen. This condition usually appears between 30 and 50. There are two types of prostatitis: acute (symptoms are severe and come on suddenly) and chronic (symptoms come and go over several months).

The symptoms of prostatitis may include dysuria, difficulty urinating, frequent urination, urgent need to urinate, cloudy urine, blood in the urine, pain in the abdomen, groin, or lower back, pain in the perineum, painful ejaculation, fever, chills, muscle aches, and other flu-like symptoms. Moreover, prostatitis can be caused by bacterial infection, nervous system dysfunction, immune system dysfunction, psychological stress, or irregular hormone activity. The risk factors for this condition include young or middle-aged men, previous prostatitis, infection of the urinary or reproductive system, HIV infection, usage of urinary catheters, and prostate biopsy.

Prostatitis is diagnosed through digital rectal exams, urine tests, blood tests, prostatic specimen tests, urodynamic tests, and imaging tests. Furthermore, the treatment options for prostatitis may include intravenous (IV) antibiotics, alpha-blockers that help relax the bladder, neck, and muscle fibers, pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and psychotherapy.

What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the prostate gland. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include trouble urinating, decreased force in the urine stream, blood in urine, blood in semen, pain in the bone, unexplained weight loss, and erectile dysfunction. Moreover, prostate cancer is caused by changes in the DNA of the cells in the prostate gland. The risk factors for this condition include older age (after age 50), race (Black people), family history, and obesity.

Prostate cancer is diagnosed through a digital rectal exam (DRE), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, prostate biopsy, ultrasound, MRI, bone scan, CT scan, PET scan, and genetic testing. Furthermore, treatment options for prostate cancer may include surgery to remove the prostate, radiation therapy (external beam radiation and brachytherapy), freezing or heating prostate tissue, hormone therapy (medications that stop or block the body from producing testosterone), chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drug therapy.

What are the Similarities Between Prostatitis and Prostate Cancer?

• Prostatitis and prostate cancer are two different medical conditions that affect the prostate gland.
• Both conditions may have similar symptoms, such as abdominal pain, urinating problems, blood in the urine, ejaculation problems, etc.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through digital rectal exams (DRE), imaging tests, and prostate biopsy.
• They can be treated through specific medication and surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Prostatitis and Prostate Cancer?

Prostatitis is the inflammation or swelling of the prostate gland, while prostate cancer is a cancer developing in the prostate gland. This is the key difference between prostatitis and prostate cancer. Furthermore, prostatitis can be caused by bacterial infection, nervous system dysfunction, immune system dysfunction, psychological stress, or irregular hormone activity, while prostate cancer can be caused by changes in the DNA of the cells in the prostate gland.

The following table summarizes the difference between prostatitis and prostate cancer.

Summary – Prostatitis vs Prostate Cancer

The prostate gland is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis. The urethra runs through the prostate gland from the bladder to the penis. This helps the proper urine flow in the body. There are different medical conditions that affect the function of the prostate gland. Prostatitis and prostate cancer are two different medical conditions are two such conditions. Prostatitis refers to an inflammation or swelling of the prostate gland. In contrast, prostate cancer is a cancer that develops in the prostate gland. This summarizes the difference between prostatitis and prostate cancer.

Reference:

1. “Prostate Cancer.” Mayo Clinic.
2. “Prostatitis.” NHS Choices.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Acute inflammation of prostate” By Nephron – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer” By Tonry, C., Finn, S., Armstrong, J. et al. – Tonry, C., Finn, S., Armstrong, J. et al. Clinical proteomics for prostate cancer: understanding prostate cancer pathology and protein biomarkers for improved disease management. Clin Proteom 17, 41 (2020) (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia