What happens to prostate cancer in the later stages?

Needless to say, the prostate is familiar to many people, especially men. It is one of the important parts of the male sexual organs, mainly including exocrine glands and endocrine glands. The secretion of the prostate is what we usually know as semen. The health of the prostate is very important for men, so more attention should be paid to prostate care. The following is an introduction to the prostate.

Anatomy

1. The prostate is an accessory gland of the male reproductive system. It is an unpaired solid gland located between the bladder and the urogenital diaphragm, surrounding the root of the urethra. Its shape and size are similar to a slightly flat chestnut. It is wide at the top and pointed at the bottom. The back of the body is relatively flat and close to the rectum. It can be touched through rectal finger diagnosis. The longitudinal diameter is 3cm, the horizontal diameter is 4cm, the anterior-posterior diameter is 2cm, and it weighs about 20g. Its size and function depend largely on androgens. The prostate of children is very small and grows rapidly during sexual maturity. The glandular tissue of the elderly gradually degenerates, and the connective tissue in the gland proliferates, forming prostatic hyperplasia, which compresses the urethra and causes dysuria.

2. The prostatic capsule is located deep in the prostate on the dorsal side of the urethra. It is a relatively large blind capsule that opens into the seminal follicle. Its epithelium is similar to the alveoli of the prostate, sometimes with cilia, often with many wrinkles and glandular depressions. The prostatic capsule is the remnant of the Müller duct during embryogenesis, also known as the male uterus. Previously, it was believed that it had no function, but in recent years some scholars believe that it is also an accessory gland of the male reproductive system.

Organizational structure

1. It is composed of 30 to 50 alveolar glands, which merge into 15 to 30 ducts, opening into the urethra. Connective tissue and smooth muscle constitute the prostate capsule, and extend into the gland to form the glandular stroma, which separates and surrounds the alveoli and ducts. The acinar cavity of the prostate is relatively large, and the glandular epithelium often forms many papillae or folds that extend into the glandular cavity, so the glandular cavity is very irregular. The types of glandular epithelium vary, from single-layer cubic, single-layer columnar to pseudo-stratified columnar, and its changes are related to the level of androgen. There is abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm of the acinar cells, developed Golgi complexes in the supranuclear region, and a large number of secretory granules at the top. Epithelial cells have strong acid phosphatase activity. There are often round or oval prostate coagulation bodies in the glandular cavity, with a diameter of 0.2 to 2 mm. The coagulation body is formed by the concentration of secretions and can undergo calcification. Its cross-section is in the form of concentric circles. This structure increases with age.

2. Glands can be divided into three groups: ① Mucosal glands: the smallest, located in the urethral mucosa, with the duct opening into the urethra; ② Submucosal glands: located in the submucosal layer of the urethra, with the duct opening into the urethra on both sides of the spermatic colliculus; ③ Main glands: located on the periphery of the prostate, occupying most of the prostate, and also opening into the urethra on both sides of the spermatic colliculus. Mucosal glands are prone to nodular hyperplasia and compress the urethra. Prostate cancer often occurs in the main glands. When cancerous, the activity of glandular cell acid phosphatase is significantly enhanced. Testing this enzyme is helpful for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

3. Prostate secretion is the main component of semen. It is a colorless turbid liquid with a weak acidity (pH 6.5). It is rich in proteolytic enzymes and fibrolytic enzymes, which can liquefy semen. It also contains high concentrations of zinc, citric acid and acid phosphatase, the latter two of which are sensitive indicators for detecting prostate function and forensic identification of semen. The secretory activity of the prostate is regulated by testosterone.