What is the prostate gland? The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system and is similar in shape and size to a chestnut and is located between the bladder and the base of the penis. The urethra passes through the center of the prostate, and urine from the bladder and semen from the gonads pass through the urethra to exit the body. If the prostate gland is enlarged, it will compress the urethra, affecting the flow of urine and producing many uncomfortable and painful symptoms; if the prostate gland is inflamed, there will be a burning sensation when urinating. What diseases are likely to occur in the prostate gland? There are three main types of diseases that occur in the prostate gland: First, prostate cancer. The incidence of this disease is extremely high in Europe and the United States, and it ranks second only to skin cancer among men in the United States. In recent years, with the aging of our population and the continuous improvement of clinical detection techniques in hospitals, the number of prostate cancer detections has also shown a significant upward trend. The second is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy. BPH is a non-cancerous increase in the size of the prostate gland, and the chances of BPH increasing with age, which can cause a variety of urinary symptoms, including urinary obstruction; third, prostatitis. This is an inflammatory disease that occurs in the prostate gland and is the disease that will be discussed in this manual. Like BPH, prostatitis is not associated with cancer, but can produce a range of bothersome symptoms. What is prostatitis? Prostatitis is an inflammation involving the prostate and its surrounding area and can be divided into several types based on clinical presentation and laboratory tests, each of which has a corresponding set of symptoms. The symptoms caused by prostatitis are mild and severe and vary greatly. Some patients have significant pain, while others suffer from prostatitis but have no significant discomfort, and the rest of the patients have symptoms that fall somewhere in between. Even patients with only mild symptoms can have a negative impact on quality of life, especially if symptoms persist or recur. Some patients with chronic prostatitis have recurring symptoms that come and go. Although not all cases of prostatitis can be completely cured, symptoms can usually be effectively relieved with treatment.