Prostate Location and Why It’s Important for Prostate Cancer
You can’t understand prostate cancer treatments without first understanding where the prostate is and what organs are in the area.
In this video, we discuss prostate anatomy and the surrounding organs.
Read the full video transcript below:
This is Dr. Grew with a video on prostate anatomy because you can't understand prostate cancer treatment without first understanding where the prostate is and what it's surrounded by.
This is a side view of the pelvis. Up here is the lumbar spine, and down here is the sacral spine or the tailbone. Right in front of the sacrum is a tube-like organ called the rectum. This is where stool leaves the body. Just in front of the rectum is the prostate gland. That's why when you have a digital rectal exam, your doctor's able to use their finger to detect nodules or suspicious findings on the gland.
Sitting right on top of the prostate is the bladder, which fills with urine and then drains it through a tube called the urethra, which dives right through the prostate. Just to the side of the prostate gland is a bundle of nerves that are involved in creating erections. Just below the gland is a bundle of blood vessels that are involved in creating erections.
Directly above and below the gland, there are muscles that, when they clamp down, prevent the leakage of urine.