Prostate cancer is one of the diseases that occurs among males only. It begins in a gland called the prostate gland found in men below the bladder and assists in producing a substance that forms part of the semen. According to the blog “Understanding Prostate Cancer: Essential Facts Every Man Should Know.” This type of cancer is prevalent since it is behind only skin carcinoma when it comes to affecting men.
Knowledge about this disease is helpful because it can be cured early. Some things that make a man more likely to get it include if he is a certain age, has family members with it, or if he is African American.
Some early signs might not be detected, and in later days, one may fail to urinate or feel pain in the lower back. Blood tests and doctor examinations during routine check-ups can detect this cancer early. When it occurs, it can be managed through treatment such as surgery or radiation if it has advanced to the advanced stage.
Prostate Cancer: What Is It?
Prostrate is a small gland-like growth that is the size of a walnut or a chestnut and is affected by a cancer called carcinoma. This gland shields the urethra, the body’s pipe for urine, and is located beneath the bladder. For men, the prostate gland is crucial because it secretes thick fluid that supplies sperm with nutrients and protects it. A condition known as prostate cancer occurs when some cell structures in the prostate gland develop abnormalities and increase more quickly than they usually would. Some of these tumors are invasive and impact other organs, but the majority develop slowly and do not create problems. Men should understand this cancer well so they can go for check-ups to avoid being affected.
Prevalence and Risk Factors
Facts concerning prostate cancer further indicate that every year, a man is likely to acquire a diagnosis of the disease at some stage in his life. This disease mainly occurs among males and, more specifically, among individuals above 65 years of age. Here are some essential factors that can increase the chances of getting prostate cancer:
- Age: It is worse for men above the age of 50.
- Race: It is evident that Black men face a substantially higher risk of acquiring prostate cancer compared to men of other races.
- Family History: This risk is also increased in a man who has first-degree relatives like a father or brother or who has had the disease.
- Genetic Factors: There are specific genes that increase the chance of getting cancer, for example, the BRCA1 and BRCA2, that regulate the likelihood of a man getting prostate cancer.
What Are The Symptoms Like?
Originally, prostate cancer is a form of cancer found in men, but in the preliminary stages, the disease may not cause any symptoms. When it worsens, men may realize some changes in their bodies. Here are some signs to look out for:
- Frequent urination: Frequent urination and going to bed with urinary incontinence—pain to urinate. The microphone could not get or let go when it was urinating.
- Blood in urine or semen: This could indicate that you have a red discharge when you ejaculate or that your pee contains blood during your bowel movements.
- Painful ejaculation: This occurs when ejaculation, more especially during sexual activity, is unbearable.
- Persistent pain: Lumbago, hip, or pelvic girdle pain and constant dull ache that is not sharp or stinging and does not come and go suddenly.
Screening Recommendations
The American Cancer Society strongly urges men to discuss with their physicians the advantages and risks of PSA testing at designated ages, considering their risk factors.
- At age 50: In average-risk men, discussion about screening should be beginning.
- At age 45: Any Black man or other man with a family history of prostate cancer before 65 should start screening himself.
- At age 40: Other individual factors also indicate that the man should consult his doctor about testing – if other family members have had prostate cancer; if the man has more than three close relatives with the disease.
The screening typically is a blood test called a PSA test and sometimes a DRE check to detect any complications as early as possible.
Diagnosis and Staging
When doctors feel that there may be an issue with the prostate, they run other tests to get further information. Some of these tests may involve the extraction of a minimal amount of tissue from the prostate through the process called biopsy or even the use of pictures from some other machinery, such as an X-ray or MRI, among others.
There are four recognized stages of prostate cancer. Stage one is when the cancer has not spread out of the prostate. Stage 2 means it has not spread outside the prostate but has grown in size. Stage 3 implies the cancer has also spread to a part of the prostate gland. Stage 4 means the disease has affected one’s body organs. Currently, most male patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are usually diagnosed at this stage, and it is straightforward to treat.
What Are The Treatment Options?
Treatment for this type of cancer, like most cancers, varies according to the patient’s instances or the cancer’s stage. Here are some common treatments:
- Active Surveillance: This means that the physicians observe the cancer without attempting to cure it because it is not deadly.
- Surgery: Webber & Meyers view Radical Prostatectomy as a form of surgery whereby a doctor cuts off the gland and some tissues around it in this fight against the disease.
- Radiation Therapy: This is a process of using beams of high energy X-ray, for example, to destroy those cells that have unfortunately developed into cancer cells. There are two types: External beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy are popular treatment types.
- Hormone Therapy: This will also help ensure that the amount of male hormones in the body does not rise to the level of cancer.
- Chemotherapy: This entails using special therapies to kill cancer cells, which are predominant in the later stages.
- Rasayana Ayurveda: These results present a natural system that cares for the balance of the energies within the human body and can be used to minimize the side effects of the other treatments.
Survival Rates
Men can get prostate cancer, and the early-stage disease can be treated. Almost 100% of men with early-stage prostate cancer can live for at least five years if the disease is contained before it spreads. However, the prognosis is different for more advanced cancer. Prostate cancer causes the death of approximately 34,000 men yearly in the US. These statistics highlight the need for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Prostate cancer grows quiet, and that’s where routine check-ups and tests come in because they can catch the disease and help heal it before it becomes aggressive.
Conclusion
It is worth every man’s interest to learn about prostate cancer as it can help them keep themselves healthy. Prostate cancer refers to cancer that evolves from a small gland just below the bladder called the prostate. This type of cancer is more common in men who have factors like old age and a family history of the disease.
Some even experience discomfort in the lower back, which they may say is normal but should be checked out. Timely screening examinations can prevent prostate cancer from developing more severely by identifying it at an early stage. Discussing personal health issues with medical practitioners can produce desirable results and promote men’s health. Nevertheless, education involves more than just being aware of one’s self. It is also essential to know that many treatments are available for men with such diseases.
Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8634-prostate-cancer
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353087
https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html
https://www.pcf.org/c/top-10-things-you-should-know-about-prostate-cancer/
https://zerocancer.org/about-prostate-cancer/facts-statistics