Information about Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in men aged above 65. If diagnosed early, and if cancer is limited to the prostate gland, its treatment is successful. However it is when diagnosis is late, and cancer spreads to other body parts that chances of death are higher.

Causes
Heredity can be a factor for prostate cancer if they have a father or brother with prostate cancer. However cancer-causing genetic changes generally change after birth and some genes may not directly cause cancer, but only make cells vulnerable to carcinogens.
Men over 65, the overweight and the inactive are more prone to prostate cancer. A diet full of red meats, calcium and high-fat foods, and not enough fruits, fiber and vegetables also act as a risk for prostate cancer. While men of African descent are more prone to prostate cancer, men of East Asia have a lower risk.

Symptoms
Actual prostate tumors are generally small, have no symptoms and are generally diagnosed only after blood screening tests or surgery. The larger tumors press on other organs like the bladder and can make urination painful and difficult.
Sometimes, these tumors may also interfere with the penile erection nerves, to lead to erectile dysfunction. Advanced tumors may also make ejaculation painful, have blood appear in semen or urine or lead to frequent urination.

Diagnosis
The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is conducted using prostate cells to detect PSA levels in the blood. While men with prostate cancer have high PSA levels, some noncancerous conditions also lead to increased PSA levels.

This is why repeated testing is required to confirm the condition. If high levels are found repeatedly, a biopsy is usually done. However PSA tests don't work at diagnosing prostate cancer in older men.
A digital rectal exam may also be used to diagnose prostate cancer where the prostate is felt using a gloved finger. If PSA levels are high, or a lump is felt, small tissue samples from 10-12 locations are collected for testing. A specialist will determine the size; stage and grade of any cancer found, and determine the best treatment option.

Treatment
Radiation is the first choice for treating prostate cancer limited to the prostate. The second choice is surgery, where the prostate gland is removed to cure prostate cancer. However removal of the prostate gland can lead to impotence and incontinence, based on whether the nerves near the prostate are damaged or not.

In cases where the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, antitumor and pain-killing treatments may be required to control the condition. It is your doctor who will determine the best treatment option for your prostate cancer, based on size, type and location of the cancer.
A team of cancer experts have applauded an experimental drug that should extend the lifespan of patients with advanced stage prostate cancer. Experts state that while chemotherapy affects the body tissues, radium-223 targets bone metastases and thus, offer a better safety profile. During a study of advanced cancer states, radium.223 worked in a similar manner to calcium, and thus attached to bones.

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