The key difference between enlarged prostate and prostate cancer is that enlarged prostate is a medical condition due to the enlargement of the prostate gland caused by the changes in the balance of sex hormones, while prostate cancer is a medical condition due to the tumor growth in the prostate gland caused by inherited genetic mutations in genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and HOXB13.
The prostate gland is located just below the bladder in men. It is usually surrounded by the top portion of the urethra. The primary function of this gland is to produce fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Enlarged prostate and prostate cancer are two medical conditions that are due to problems in the prostate gland.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Enlarged Prostate
3. What is Prostate Cancer
4. Similarities – Enlarged Prostate and Prostate Cancer
5. Enlarged Prostate vs Prostate Cancer in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Enlarged Prostate vs Prostate Cancer
What is Enlarged Prostate?
Enlarged prostate is the enlargement of the prostate gland due to the changes in the balance of sex hormones. It is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It is a very common condition in older men. The signs and symptoms of an enlarged prostate may include frequent urgency to urinate, increased frequency of urination at night, difficulty in starting urination, weak urine stream, dribbling in urination, inability to empty the bladder fully, urinary tract infection, and occasionally blood in the urine. The risk factors of an enlarged prostate include aging (men in age 60 to 80 are more affected), family history, diabetes, heart diseases, and lifestyle (obesity).
Figure 01: Enlarged Prostate
Moreover, an enlarged prostate can be diagnosed through a digital rectum test, urine test, blood test, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, urinary flow test, post-void residual volume test, 24-hour voiding dairy, transrectal ultrasound, prostate biopsy, urodynamic and pressure flow studies, and cystoscopy. Furthermore, treatment options for an enlarged prostate include medications (alpha-blockers, 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors, combination drug therapy, and tadalafil), and minimally invasive or surgical therapy.
What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is the growth of a tumor in the prostate gland due to inherited genetic mutations in genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and HOXB13. The signs and symptoms of prostate cancer are trouble in urinating, reduced force in the stream of urine, blood in the urine and semen, pain in the bone, unintentional weight loss, and erectile dysfunction. The risk factors for this condition include older age (men over 50 are more vulnerable), race (black people have more risk), family history, and obesity.
Figure 02: Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer can be diagnosed through a digital rectal exam (DRE), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, ultrasound, MRI, PET scan, CT scan, prostate biopsy, and genomic testing. Furthermore, treatment options for prostate cancer may include surgery to remove the prostate (radical prostatectomy), radiation therapy, freezing and heating the prostate tissue, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drug therapy.
What are the Similarities Between Enlarged Prostate and Prostate Cancer?
- Enlarged prostate and prostate cancer are two medical conditions that are due to problems in the prostate gland.
- Both conditions may have similar symptoms, such as trouble urinating, a weak stream of urine, blood in urine, etc.
- In both conditions, men over 50 years old are at greater risk.
- Both conditions cause complications.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through blood tests and imaging tests.
- They can be treated through specific medicines and surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Enlarged Prostate and Prostate Cancer?
Enlarged prostate is the enlargement of the prostate gland due to the changes in the balance of sex hormones, while prostate cancer is the growth of a tumor in the prostate gland due to inherited genetic mutations in genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and HOXB13. Thus, this is the key difference between enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. Furthermore, the risk factors for an enlarged prostate include aging (men in age 60 to 80 are affected more), family history, diabetes, heart diseases, and lifestyle (obesity), while the risk factors for prostate cancer include older age (men over 50 are more vulnerable), race (black people have more risk), family history and obesity.
The below infographic presents the differences between enlarged prostate and prostate cancer in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Enlarged Prostate vs Prostate Cancer
The prostate gland is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Enlarged prostate and prostate cancer are two medical conditions that happen due to problems in the prostate gland. Enlarged prostate is due to the enlargement of the prostate gland caused by the changes in the balance of sex hormones. Prostate cancer is a tumor growth in the prostate gland caused by inherited genetic mutations in genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and HOXB13. So, this is the key difference between enlarged prostate and prostate cancer.
Reference:
1. “Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 13 Apr. 2021.
2. “Prostate Cancer.” NHS Choices, NHS.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Normal-vs-enlarged-prostate” By Akcmdu9 – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer” 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
