Prostate Cancer

Overview

Prostate cancer is a cancerous tumor or growth of the prostate. It consists of multiple, small primary tumors within the prostate gland. Prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing cancer which usually remains confined within the prostate gland for many years before spreading out into the rest of the body. During this period of time, the tumor does not show any outward signs or symptoms, and thus the abnormalities cannot be detected during physical exams. But if left undetected and untreated, the cancer will advance and spread into the surrounding tissues. Transported through the lymphatic system and blood stream, these prostate cancer cells reach other parts of the body. When it metastasizes to other areas of the body, such as the liver, lungs and bones, the symptoms will begin to present themselves.

Types

Early stages of prostate cancer generally only exists within the prostate gland, where it can spend several years before spreading locally to other nearby tissues or metastasize into completely different parts of the body. Once the cancer has metastasized, it is more commonly referred to as end stage or late stage prostate cancer, which is the point where signs and symptoms and other abnormalities may begin to show themselves.

Symptoms

In the earliest stages of prostate cancer, there are often no symptoms or abnormalities. If symptoms do occur, they differ from person to person. Some common symptoms include frequent, painful and increased urination, blood in the urine and painful ejaculation. Advanced prostate cancer may cause additional symptoms like bone pain in the hips and vertebrae.

Causes/Risk Factors

The cause of prostate cancer is currently unknown, but it has been ruled out as related to BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy. There are a number of risk factors that are associated with developing prostate cancer, including age, hormonal influences, genetics and heredity, race and environmental factors including chemicals, toxins and industrial products. When a person gets older, their chance of developing prostate cancer rises too. Thus, contracting this type of cancer before the age of forty is rare, with an increased chance of getting it after the age of forty. Other risk factors for prostate cancer include smoking cigarettes and consuming food high in saturated fats.

Tests/Diagnosis

In most cases, prostate cancer is first detected by abnormalities in blood tests. Prostate cancer in its earlier stages may also be detected by a hard nodule or lump in the prostate gland, which can be detected during self checking or a physician's prostate exam. Hence, it is essential for men to undergo regular screening tests including prostate exams in order to detect diseases like prostate cancer at the earliest possible stage. If screening tests show normal results, then the disease is presumed not to be there. If a screening test results in an abnormal rating, the disease is expected to be present. A biopsy is done to confirm the presence of the disease. This is followed by other tests, such as a prostate specific antigen or PSA blood test.

Treatment

Some of the treatments that can be conducted in order to alleviate prostate cancer include radiation therapy, surgical treatments, hormonal treatments, cryotherapy, chemotherapy, herbal therapy, alternative forms of medicine and combinations of these therapies. The exact treatment that you will undergo will be dependent on the exact stage of cancer and your physician's advice.