A Simple Guide to Prostate Cancer

A Simple Guide to Prostate Cancer

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What is prostate cancer?

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Cancer of the prostate occurs when the cells of the prostate gland mutates and turn cancerous.

Prostate cancer is a group of abnormal cells in the prostate which is a gland about the size of a walnut found in men between the bladder and rectum.

It produces and secretes prostatic fluid, one of the main components of semen.

How does prostate cancer occur?

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Prostate cancer occurs when a malignant (harmful) tumour develops inside the gland. This could be caused by the male hormone testosterone.

However, the exact cause of prostate cancer is not known.

What are the types of Prostate Cancer?

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Prostate cancer can be

1.aggressive, which means it grows quickly and spreads to other parts of the body, such as the bone.

2.slow-growing, where the cancer patient can expect to live as long as men who do not have cancer. Most patients with slow-growing cancer will never have symptoms.

Three out of four cases of prostate cancer are of the slow-growing type that is relatively harmless.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

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Those with prostate cancer may experience similar symptoms to those with enlarged prostate gland and prostatitis (infection of the prostate gland), such as:
1.Difficulty starting to urinate

2.Having an interrupted or weak flow of urine

3.Dribbling after you finish urinating

4.Urinating too frequently, especially at night

5.Blood or pus in the urine

6.Pain or burning feeling while urinating

Other symptoms include:

1.Being unable to have an erection

2.Having blood in the semen

3.Constant pain in the hips, upper thighs or lower back area

Who is affected by prostate cancer?

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Prostate cancer usually develop slowly, and is seldom the sole or final cause of death.

Men over 65 years of age are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

However, men aged 50 and above with a close relative who has had prostate cancer before 60 years of age, have a higher risk and should go for screening.

How can prostate cancer be detected?

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Your doctor may examine your prostate by putting a gloved, lubricated finger a few inches into your rectum to feel your prostate gland. A normal prostate feels firm. If there are hard spots on the prostate, your doctor may suspect cancer.It is difficult to detect prostate cancer accurately.

The current approach is to measure the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) present in the blood. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate. However, this test is not always reliable. This is because infections or an enlarged prostate can also increase PSA levels and affect the test results.

Thus, a biopsy is normally used to confirm the diagnosis.

How is prostate cancer treated?

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Surgery, radiation and drugs are the main treatment options.

They can cure prostate cancer if it's caught early.

However, these treatments can cause serious problems, such as impotence and incontinence.

Surgery or radiation may help treat the more aggressive cancers that are most often found in middle-aged men.

In serious cases, the tumour in the prostate gland can be removed with surgery.

After surgery, it is important that the patient has a healthy diet to build up strength and resistance. The patient must also be monitored closely, as in some cases the cancer could recur.

In rare cases,chemotherapy may be necessary for cancer which has spread to outside of the prostate.

Some mild cases may not require surgery, but require regular monitoring by doctors.

The treatment decision will depend on a combination of clinical and psychological factors.

Men diagnosed with localised prostate cancer today will likely live for many years.

Careful consideration of the different options is an important first step in deciding on the best treatment course.
Consultation with all three types of prostate cancer specialists—a urologist, a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist—will offer the most comprehensive assessment of the available treatments and expected outcomes.