Prostate
Cancer: Early Diagnosis can change your life
By
Narayana S. Ambati, M.D.
Professor, Department of Urology University of California,
San Francisco-Fresno PersonalMD.Com Advisory Board
If
a man lives long enough, some say, the question is not if but
when he will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Not so long ago
this was particularly grim news. Today breakthroughs in detection
and treatment have made the diagnosis, while still serious, a
condition that can be lived with and overcome.
Given
that cancer of the prostate is the second leading cause of death
in men, the battle is far from over. The incidence of prostate
cancer increases with age. More than 70% of the cases of the cases
occur in men over 65. About 180,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed
in 1999. Men with a family history of prostate cancer and African-American
men are particularly at risk. But if the cancer has not spread
and is restricted to the gland itself, it is relatively simple
to treat and cure.
Diagnosis
Procedures
for identifying prostate cancer have become routine in recent
years. A simple PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test can often
identify the problem. Men over 50 should be tested regularly as
a matter of course, since identifying the cancer at an early stage
makes a finding a cure much more likely. If the PSA test results
are positive, the test is usually repeated, and the patient is
sent to a urologist for evaluation and biopsy.
Some
prostate cancers (a relatively small number) arent indicated
by elevated PSA levels, so a rectal examination is still recommended
to complement the PSA test. In either case, the urologist will
determine the stage and aggressiveness of the cancer and prescribe
the best and most effective treatment.
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More
on Prostate
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Prostate
The
prostate is a secondary sex gland in men, located near the
urinary bladder neck. It secretes various biochemical and
enzymatic products that add volume to the semen. Not all
of the functions of the prostate gland are completely understood.
Prostate
Gland Infections
The
infections of the prostate gland are common in younger and
productive men. The causes are not very well understood.
The treatment can be prolonged and expensive with common
symptoms including, but not excluding, urinary frequency,
pain on urination, low grade fever, back pain, testicular
pain, swelling, pain below the belly button and pain upon
ejaculation, blood in the ejaculate.
If one has any or all of the above symptoms, you should
consult your physician.
Benign
Prostate Hypertrophy (BPH)
Benign Prostate Hypertrophy a common prostate disease. But
not all men with prostatic hypertrophy may need treatment.
Only people with symptoms like urinary frequency, hesitancy,
incompleta emptying, blood in the urine, urinary infection
or stones may need treatment. It can be medical or surgical
treatment and the treatment can only be evaluated by a urologist.
Most of health food drugs that are advertised have no proven
benefit, are expensive, need to be used life long and can
mask other diseases like cancers of the male genital tract.
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Treatment
Surgery,
radiation therapy, hormonal therapy or "watchful waiting" is usually
indicated if cancer is found. Factors such as age, general health,
the spread or aggressiveness of the cancer, and the patients
own preferences will influence the choice of treatments.
Radiation
therapy has improved greatly in recent years, with few side effects
or complications, and is considered as good a choice as surgery
if the cancer is detected early.The
course oftreatment usually lasts about two months. Each treatment
takes only a few minutes. The patient feels nothing, expect for
perhaps a slight sensation of heat. Most patients can continue
working while receiving treatment.
If
surgery is performed, a hospital stay of a few days is generally
required. The prostate and attached seminal vesicles are removed,
along with the tumor. A rubber catheter is left in place until
healing is complete. If the tumor is more extensive than expected
or if the cancer has begun to spread, radiation therapy may be
needed after the surgery.
The
downside of the both the traditional forms of radiation therapy
and surgery is that they sometimes result in impotence or impaired
function. To avoid this, implant radiation therapy may be recommended.
This is a form of radiation that is more narrowly targeted to
the tumor and minimizes the effect on surrounding tissue. Menwith
advanced prostate cancer or who have already had prostate surgery
are ineligible for the procedure.
If
the cancer is advanced, hormone treatment is often prescribed.
This stops the release of male hormones, and is administered in
a combination of oral and injected dosages over a period of months.
Orchiectomy (surgical removal of the testes) is the simplest and
surest way to stop the release of male hormones, but as you might
imagine most men prefer to receive the medication.
Some
cases of prostate cancer may not be treated right away. If the
cancer is not spreading rapidly, the patient is elderly, or has
other medical problems, physicians will often monitor the patients
condition on a regular basis. This will spare some patients the
side effects and the expense of treatment. Lately, some physicians
have begun to recommend "watchful waiting" to carefully monitor
the diseases progress before recommending radical treatment until
other less invasive methods have been tried.
If the cancer is growing slowly and not causing problems, the
physician and patient may elect to continue to monitor the condition
until there is a reason to prescribe treatment.
The
most important point that all men should remember is that early
detection and treatment of prostate cancer could save your life.
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