Prostate Cancer: Medical Illustrations

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 12/2022

ON THIS PAGE: You will find a drawing of the main body parts affected by prostate cancer. Use the menu to see other pages.

Illustration of the prostate and genitourinary system

The illustration shows the male urinary tract. Two kidneys are located on either side of the spine near the bottom of the rib cage. Each kidney connects to a ureter through the renal pelvis and calyx. The ureters run down the body to connect to the bladder, which is located in the pelvic cavity in front of the rectum and directly above the prostate. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located at the base of the penis. A cross-section of the bladder and prostate shows the 2 ureteric orifices where the ureters connect to the bladder and that the prostate is located directly under the bladder and surrounds the urethra, which allows urine and seminal fluid to exit the body through the penis. Under the prostate, layers of corpus spongiosum tissue and bulbospongiosus muscle surround the urethra. Copyright 2003 American Society of Clinical Oncology. Robert Morreale/Visual Explanations, LLC.

The next section in this guide is Risk Factors and PreventionIt explains the factors that may increase the chance of developing prostate cancer and what people can do to lower their risk. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.