Prostate cancer, its causes, types, symptoms, diagnosis, prevention and treatment

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Prostate Cancer


The prostate gland is located at the base of the bladder and surrounds the upper part of the urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder. The main function of the prostate gland is to produce semen, the fluid that carries sperm. 

Therefore, prostate cancer is found only in men and develops through the growth of abnormal cells in the prostate. Symptoms of prostate cancer appear only after the onset of the disease. 

 With most cancers this is a common phenomenon across the board and one should learn to walk the middle ground between healthy fatigue and numbness.

Symptoms of prostate cancer

As mentioned earlier, the symptoms of prostate cancer are largely absent in the early stages of the disease. Urinary problems, which can get worse over time, are early warning signs that may indicate the presence of local prostate cancer.

 This refers to a situation where the cancer is still confined to the prostate. These urinary problems can include difficulty urinating and then weak flow.

An increase in the need to urinate more frequently (for example every two hours) may indicate early stages of prostate cancer. Urinary pressure and a feeling that the bladder is not completely empty can also be early signs of the onset of this cancer. 

The need to urinate, and sometimes not going to the toilet on time, is another early warning sign to look out for. A constant dripping, even when someone is 'finished' and pain when urinating can be a sign of the presence of this most horrible cancer in men. 

Hematuria (the presence of blood in the urine) is also one of the urinary complications associated with prostate cancer.

Different combinations of these symptoms may be due to medical conditions other than prostate cancer, such as prostatitis (swelling and inflammation of the prostate) or inflammatory prostatic hyperplasia, which is an enlarged state of the prostate gland that has a squeezing or partial effect. 

To block There is pain in the urethra when urinating. Both of these conditions are non-cancerous but can easily lead to the wrong conclusion. This is why early screening is so important to identify the root causes of any symptoms.

A digital rectal examination (DRE), which most men may not understand at all, enables your doctor to estimate the size of your prostate (usually the size of a walnut), among other things. And it probably saves you years. Torture and treatment.

Prostate cancer (as is the case with most cancers) can spread to nearby tissues or bones. Erectile dysfunction with painful ejaculation may indicate the onset of the second stage of the disease. The presence of blood in the semen at this point can also be a sign of the spread of the disease.

Persistent bone pain that can lead to a fracture may also indicate that the disease has metastasized. It is not uncommon at this time for back pain to be caused by the pressure of cancer on the spinal nerves.

 Pelvic, leg and hip pain are other symptoms of the spread of this cancer. Swelling in the legs and pelvis should not be overlooked at this (or any other) turn.

However, it should be emphasized that these symptoms, taken individually or in groups, may be indicative of other medical conditions. Going to the doctor will help allay any fears or at least identify the disease and allow appropriate treatment to be started immediately.

Your doctor will refer you to a urologist if the symptoms indicate the presence of prostate cancer. This specialist will be able to advise you on various options to get rid of this disease.

Diagnosis of prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer ribbon
Prostate Cancer ribbon


The prostate test is your best defence

Screening is usually the first and quickest sign to find out if you have prostate cancer. Tumors in the prostate usually grow slowly without moving anything to cause pain. Therefore, there are some early warning signs of the disease and they may remain silent for years. 

Prepare yourself to talk to your doctor about the health of your prostate to learn about the symptoms of prostate cancer, the types of tests to be done, and when to diagnose a possible prostate cancer.

Precautionary signs and symptoms of advanced prostate cancer

If you start experiencing the following symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor to examine and discuss the possible causes.

Difficulty urinating, including a slow, weak, doubling or interrupted stream of urine

Bloody urine or semen

of erectile dysfunction

Painful ejaculation

Swelling in the pelvic area or legs

Pressure or pain in the rectum

Numbness or weakness in the legs or toes

Bladder and/or bowel control

Fatigue

Abnormal weight loss

Bone metastasis signs and symptoms

If prostate cancer metastasizes, it spreads to the hip, spine, and pelvis about 80% of the time. Once this happens, the cancer is more likely to have stage 4 and your symptoms may be more extensive and can affect other parts of the body.

Bone pain

Weak bones increase your risk of fractures

Spinal cord compression and associated weakness or numbness

High blood calcium levels, which can trigger vomiting, dehydration, confusion and stomach upset

Stiffness or pain in the hips, thighs or back

When to schedule a regular prostate test

Start talking to your doctor at the age of 40 to determine the best prostate care plan for you. Depending on your risk factors, your doctor may recommend that you stop testing or recommend one or two of the initial tests.

The standard age for starting prostate examinations

40 The most dangerous

If you have a family history, there is a genetic mutation in the diagnosis of more than one first degree relative (father, brother, son) at an early age (under 65) or an inheritance associated with prostate cancer.

45 more risk

If you are of African American descent or have a relative to a first degree prostate cancer at an early age.

50 Average risk

If you do not have a family history and you are not African American.

Talk to your doctor about 50 more.

Recommendations may be dependent on the basis of age, health and personal health issues.

What to expect during a prostate test

Depending on the type of test, precautionary measures recommended by your doctor and previous test results, you may take one or more of these tests.

Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)

During a digital rectal exam, your doctor will tell you to bend over or lie in a fetal position on the exam table. He will insert a gloved, oily finger into your rectum to check for abnormalities.

 If it feels like a bump, hard or soft spot, or if your prostate is enlarged, further testing may be recommended. This test only takes a few minutes but they can be uncomfortable, especially if you have hemorrhoids.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test

PSA is a protein produced by the prostate and is found mostly in semen and in small amounts in the bloodstream. Although not mutually exclusive, PSA levels increase when there is a problem with the prostate.

 Additional testing can serve as a smoking alarm for you and your doctor to detect additional tests. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks to process the results.

Transitional Ultrasound (TRUS)

During a painless, 15-minute outpatient procedure, a small probe will pass through your rectum and the ultrasound machine will send sound waves to resemble your prostate gland.

This picture will help your urologist tell you the difference between non-cancerous and cancerous changes in your prostate and the size of the area of ​​concern. This visual guide will also be used for site biopsy in the Truss Guide Biopsy.

 An enema may be needed the night before and some blood may come into your urine after that. Results may be expected within a week.

Prostate cancer biopsy

This outpatient procedure requires a small injection to anesthetize the site. Larger samples may require anesthesia. In a truss-guided biopsy, your urologist will quickly insert a thin, hollow needle through the rectum and into the prostate to collect core tissue samples from different parts of the prostate.

Most urologists will take around 12 basic samples to increase the chances of catching any abnormal cells. A biopsy sample can also be obtained through a transeprenal biopsy in which an injection is placed between the scratch and the anus through the perineum or skin.

 The pathologist will examine the samples under a microscope to classify the cancer cell samples in your tissues and determine your Glycine score, which measures the aggression of your cancer in your prostate cells.

Diagnosis and detection of prostate cancer

Based on your specific test results, your doctors may recommend additional testing or more frequent appointments to check which must be monitored.

General scenario

1) High PSA level

Don't panic if your test results come back a little higher than usual. Many other factors can increase or decrease your PSA level. In fact, some studies have shown that 75% of men with high levels do not get cancer.

 The two most common causes are BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate cancer) and prostatitis (infection or inflammation of the prostate gland).

General study of PSA level

<2.5 Depending on your age and other risk factors, a review may only be required every two years.

> 2.5 Annual screening is generally recommended

4-10 Prostate cancer is one of the four most likely to be diagnosed

> 10 The probability of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is more than 50%

> 20 modern prostate cancer in many cases

Other factors affecting PSA levels

Increase PSA levels

BPH: benign prostatic hyperplasia, non-cancerous increment of the prostate

Prostatitis: Infection or swelling of the prostate gland

Age: PSA levels usually increase with age.

Ejaculation: Doctors may recommend avoiding ejaculation 1 to 2 days before the test.

Motorcycling: Some studies have shown that cycling can have an effect.

Some prostate procedures: Your doctor may suggest a blood draw before a DRE, prostate biopsy, or cystoscopy.

Some drugs: Male hormones or drugs that increase testosterone levels.

Decrease PSA levels

5-Alpha reductase inhibitors: Some medications have been used to treat BPH or urinary symptoms such as finasteride (Proscar or Propecia) or docetride (Eudart).

Statins: Long-term use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as atorvastatin (Lepter), Rossostine (Crester) and Smoastatin (Zucker).

Thiazide Diuretics: Water tablets are often used to treat high blood pressure.

Others: Herbal compounds, obesity and aspirin.

Possible next steps

If your PSA level has been raised slightly, there are additional considerations available to rule out additional tests, PSA-based markers, and other reasons, and decide if a biopsy is necessary. ۔

Free PSA test: A lower percentage indicates a higher risk of cancer.

PSA speed or rate of increase over time: Rapid increase means more risk.

PSA density or level per prostate volume: higher density means more risk.

Digital rectal examination (DRE): Feel for expansion, bumps and hard or soft areas.

Prostate Health Index (PHI): A measurement based on a combination of three forms of the PSA protein that helps calculate the risk of cancer.

4K Score: Blood testing of four prostate-related proteins with an increased risk of invasive prostate cancer.

Urine PCA3 gene test: High levels increase the chances of cancer.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An image set over ultrasound.

2) Abnormal biopsy results

Prostate biopsies can show results in addition to prostate cancer. Some common results are 1) benign enlargement, 2) inflammation and 3) pin (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, a type of cell that looks abnormal and can lead to cancer).

If the pin is detected, a psychiatrist will call the cells "suspicious" and moreover recommend a biopsy of another part of the gland because a follow-up biopsy will show 30 to 50 XNUMX cases of prostate cancer. Up to a percent probability of initial grade pin.

Growing your tumor cells

After the biopsy, a psychiatrist will examine your tissue samples under a microscope to determine the extent of cellular aberration from normal prostate cells to determine your cancer aggression.

 They will assign two different levels to the two most prominent cancer cell samples in your tissue sample. Each cell pattern receives grades between 1 and 5 using the cellular grading criteria below.

Prostate cancer cell grade

Grade 1 small, homogeneous cells packed together like normal prostate cells

Grade 2 * Cells of different shapes are easily packed together

Grade 3 * More irregularities in shape and form with the onset of cells and the sign of fusion between cells

* Patterns in these degrees can be very different because some cells look more normal than other cells.

Calculate your shining score

Your Glycine score (scale 2 to 10) is a combination of the levels of your two most important cancer cell samples. This score is ultimately used to assess the chances and risk of your prostate cancer growing and spreading.

Gleason Score Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Low risk Gleason score 2-5

Early-stage tumors are usually not likely to grow or spread to other tissues or organs for years. Many men monitor their prostate cancer mostly through check-ups and tests.
Possible next steps:

- Active monitoring

- DREs

- PSA test

- Ultrasound / other imaging

- Additional biopsy

Medium Risk Gleason score 6-7

Most prostate cancers fall into this category. Cancer is usually not likely to grow or spread for many years. However, treatment can be recommended based on a person's age, health and personal preferences.
Possible next steps:

- Active monitoring

- Surgery

- Radiation / proton therapy

- Treatment

- Collection

High Risk Gleason score 8-10

More advanced tumors. High risk of spreading aggressively. Some of these cells may have "unsatisfactory differentiation" or early-stage cancer that has not spread but is likely to be possible in a few years.
Possible next steps:

- Surgery

- Radiation / proton therapy

- Treatment

- Collection

Screening for other prostate cancers

Your Gleason score is a way to determine the rate of growth, aggressiveness, and severity of your prostate cancer. Additional tests can be done to help better predict whether treatment is needed now and in the future, and the type of treatment. 

Some of these tests include provirals (assess the aggressiveness of your cancer by measuring how fast the cells in your tumor divide) and OncotypeDx (a genomic test that predicts how well your cancer will respond to chemotherapy. how the body will react).

Coping with a prostate cancer diagnosis

A cancer diagnosis can be lifelong. Fortunately, only a small number of prostate cancers require immediate treatment. Most men have time to figure out the best way of action for them. What you can do is educate yourself about the types of treatments available, find a doctor that you feel comfortable with.

Thanks to advances in technology, treatments such as proton therapy are helping to provide prostate cancer patients with stronger cure rates, fewer side effects and better outcomes, such as a reduced risk of impotence and incontinence. In fact, recent studies show that the statistics continue to improve as treatments improve.

Relative prostate cancer survival rate*

99% 98% 96%
5 years 10 years 15 years
* Percentages include all stages of prostate cancer

We are at your disposal, please contact and we will be happy to take you through various alternative treatments.

Prostate cancer more deadly than breast cancer

The death toll from prostate cancer in 2015 was 11,819

For the first time, the number of men dying from prostate cancer is higher than the number of women dying from breast cancer, according to new research from the UK.

The disease is affecting more men due to the increasing age of a large number of people.

According to the UK's Prostate Cancer UK, improvements in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment have been very beneficial and could potentially benefit from allocating more money to prostate cancer research.

Currently, the most deadly cancer in the UK is lung and intestinal cancer, followed by prostate cancer.

The last ten years have seen an increase in the number of deaths from prostate cancer, but the proportion of infected men has dropped by about six percent.

Breast cancer deaths have dropped by 10 percent.

Ribbon showing prostate cancer
Ribbon showing prostate cancer


Treatment

Prostate or bladder cancer is usually treated with surgery or radiotherapy.

Many medical experts in Europe say a new treatment for prostate cancer could be a "revolutionary step" towards controlling the disease at an early stage.

The new treatment, which has been used experimentally in many parts of Europe, treats tumors of the bladder gland in men with a combination of laser beams and a drug made from a bacterium found in the deep seas. The advantage of this treatment is that no side effects or 'side effects' have been observed.

According to a study published in the journal Cancer, the new method was tested on 413 men, about half of whom showed no signs of cancer.

Prostate or bladder cancer is usually treated with surgery or radiotherapy, but most patients have to pay the price for impotence and inability to control urination.

Nine out of ten patients undergoing surgery or radiotherapy are affected, while two are unable to control their urination.

That is why most prostate tumors in the early stages follow a 'see what happens next' strategy and start treatment only when the disease enters an aggressive stage.

Mark Amberton, a professor at University College London who is experimenting with the new treatment, says the treatment has "changed everything."

The medicine used in the new treatment is made from bacteria that are found in the darkness of the surface of the sea and they have a poisonous property when they are exposed to light.

In the new treatment, laser beams are inserted into the affected glands with the help of ten fiber optic cables. When the red laser button is pressed, it stimulates the medicine inside the gland and it kills the cancerous cells and the disease disappears from your gland.

The method was used on an experimental basis in 47 hospitals in several European countries, where 49% of patients were completely cured of cancer.

 And only six percent of them eventually had to have their prostate removed surgically, while 30 percent of patients who did not receive the treatment had to have their prostate removed.

Dr Matthew Hobbs of Prostate Cancer UK, a British aid organization, says the new technology has helped men get out of the dilemma of whether to have their prostate treated or left alone.