What is prostate cancer
Prostate cancer develops in the prostate, a small walnut-shaped gland located below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men where this small gland secretes a liquid that mixes with semen, keeping sperm healthy for pregnancy.
Prostate cancer is considered a serious disease. But fortunately, most people with prostate cancer are diagnosed before it spreads beyond the prostate gland.
Treatment at this stage often eliminates cancer.
Types of prostate cancer
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, it is likely to be adenocarcinoma.
Adenomas begin in glands cells – such as prostate-secreted fluids, and prostate cancer rarely forms from other types of cells.
Less common types of prostate cancers include:
- Small cell carcinoma.
- Transitional cell carcinoma.
- Neuro-endocrine tumors.
symptoms of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer in its early stages rarely causes symptoms, but these problems may occur as the disease progresses:
- The need to urinate frequently and sometimes urgently, especially at night.
- Impaired urine flow or flow that starts and stops.
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating (dysuria)
- Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence)
- Loss of bowel control (fecal incontinence)
- Painful ejaculation and erectile dysfunction
- Blood in semen (hematospermia) or urine
- Pain in the lower back, hip or chest
Are prostate problems considered a sign of prostate cancer
Not all growths in the prostate are cancer but other conditions that cause symptoms like prostate cancer include:
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): at some point, almost everyone will develop benign prostatic hyperplasia. This condition enlarges the prostate gland but does not increase the risk of cancer.
Prostatitis: If you are under 50 years old, then most likely an enlarged prostate gland is prostatitis. Prostatitis is a benign condition that causes inflammation and swelling of the prostate gland. Bacterial infections are often the cause.
Causes of prostate cancer
Doctors are not sure what causes the cells in the prostate to turn into cancer cells. As with cancer in general, but it is known that prostate cancer is formed when cells divide faster than usual. While normal cells eventually die,cancer cells do not.
Instead, they multiply and grow into a lump called a tumor. As the cells continue to multiply, parts of the tumor can break off and spread to other parts of the body.
Fortunately, prostate cancer usually grows slowly as most tumors are diagnosed before the cancer has spread beyond the prostate.
Prostate cancer treatment can be very successful at this stage.
Risk factors for prostate cancer
The most common risk factors include:
- Age: your risk increases as you get older as you are more likely to be diagnosed if you are over 50 years old. About 60% of prostate cancers occur in people over 65 years of age.
- Family history of prostate cancer: you are two to three times more likely to develop prostate cancer if a close family member has it.
- Genetics: you are at greater risk if you have Lynch syndrome or if you inherit mutated (altered) genes associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer
Some studies have identified other risk factors for prostate cancer , other possible risk factors include:
- Smoking
- Inflammation of the prostate
- The presence of a BMI over 30 (the presence of obesity)
- Sexually transmitted diseases
Diagnosis of prostate cancer
Examinations can help detect prostate cancer early. If you have an average risk, you will probably have your first screening test at the age of 55.
You may need previous check-ups if you are in a high-risk group. The examinations usually stop after the age of 70.
Not everyone who is likely to have prostate cancer will need a definitive diagnosis.
For example, if your doctor thinks that the tumor is growing slowly, he may delay further tests because it is not serious enough to seek treatment.
If the tumor is growing and spreading rapidly, you may need additional tests, including a biopsy.
Diagnostic procedures for prostate cancer
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) : magnetic resonance imaging or transrectal ultrasound can show images of the prostate gland, including suspicious areas that may be cancerous. The imaging results can help your doctor determine whether you need a biopsy or not.
- Biopsy: during a needle biopsy, the doctor removes a tissue sample to be tested in the laboratory for cancer. A biopsy is the only sure way to diagnose prostate cancer or find out for sure how aggressive it is. Your doctor may perform genetic tests on the biopsy tissue. Some cancer cells have characteristics (such as mutations) that make them more likely to respond to specific treatments.
Prostate cancer treatment
Your treatment depends on multiple factors, including your general condition, and how quickly it spreads.
Depending on your treatments, you can visit many doctors including urologists, radiation therapy doctors and oncologists. Most prostate cancer diagnosed in the early stages can be cured.
Procedures used to treat prostate cancer
Monitoring
Your doctor may monitor your condition instead of providing treatment if the cancer is growing slowly and not spreading.
Active surveillance: You get scans, and biopsies every year to three years to monitor cancer growth. Active monitoring works best if the cancer grows slowly, is only in the prostate and does not cause symptoms. If your condition worsens, your doctor can start treatment.
Surgery
Radical prostatectomy removes the prostate gland and can often successfully eliminate prostate cancers that have not spread. Your doctor can recommend the best method of removal if he thinks you will benefit from this surgery.
Open radical prostatectomy: the surgeon makes a single cut (incision) in your abdomen and removes the prostate gland. This technique is not as popular as less overlapping methods.
Robotic radical prostatectomy: robotic radical prostatectomy allows your doctor to perform surgery through several small incisions. Instead of working directly,they operate a robot system via a controller.
Radiation therapy
You may receive radiation therapy as an independent treatment for prostate cancer or in combination with other treatments. Radiation can also provide symptom relief.
- Brachytherapy: a form of internal radiation therapy, brachytherapy involves placing radioactive seeds inside the prostate. This approach kills cancer cells while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue.
- Radiation therapy (external beam): external beam radiation therapy (Ebert), a machine that directs powerful X-rays directly to the tumor.
Specialized forms of brachytherapy, such as brachytherapy, can direct high doses of radiation towards the tumor while preserving healthy tissue.
Systemic treatments
The doctor may also recommend systemic treatments if the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland.
Systemic therapies send substances throughout the body to destroy cancer cells or prevent their growth.
- Hormone therapy: testosterone promotes the growth of cancer cells. Hormone therapy uses drugs to combat the role of testosterone in fueling the growth of cancer cells. Medications work by preventing testosterone from reaching cancer cells or by reducing your testosterone levels. Alternatively, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the testicles (orchiectomy) so that they cannot produce testosterone. This surgery is an option for people who do not want to take medications.
- Chemotherapy: chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. You may receive chemotherapy on your own or with hormone therapy if the cancer has spread beyond the prostate.
- Immunotherapy: immunotherapy strengthens your immune system so that it is better able to identify and fight cancer cells. Your doctor may recommend immunotherapy to treat advanced cancer or recurrent cancer (cancer that goes away but then returns).
- Targeted therapy: targeted therapy focuses on genetic changes (mutations) that turn healthy cells into cancer cells to prevent them from growing and multiplying. Targeted therapies that treat prostate cancer destroy cancer cells with genetic mutations.
Focal Therapy
Focal therapy is a newer form of therapy that destroys tumors inside the prostate. The doctor may recommend this treatment if the cancer is low-risk and has not spread.
Many of these treatments are still considered experimental.
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound: high intensity sound waves generate powerful heat to kill cancer cells inside the prostate.
Cryotherapy: cold gases freeze the cancer cells in the prostate, eliminating the tumor.
Laser ablation: intense heat directed at the tumor kills the cancer cells inside the prostate, destroying the tumor.
Phototherapy: drugs make cancer cells more sensitive to certain wavelengths of light. The doctor exposes the cancer cells to these light wavelengths, killing the cancer cells.
Prevention of prostate cancer
Prevention of prostate cancer is not possible. However, taking these steps may reduce risks:
- Ensure regular checks for prostate
- Maintain healthy weight
- Regular exercise
- Eat a healthy diet
- Quitting smoking
