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Prostate Cancer Overview of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed male cancer and affects around 1 in every 12 men at some time in their lives. The number of cases of prostate cancer identified each year has steadily risen since the 1970s however this isn’t necessarily because there are more cases, it is due to better prostate cancer screening methods. It also helps that there is now a lot more prostate cancer information available to men and the subject is no longer taboo.
Even though this form of cancer causes tens of thousands of deaths each year, many tumours grow slowly, especially in elderly men, and may never cause any prostate cancer warning signs and symptoms.
Risk Factors of Prostate Cancer
Although prostate cancer is rare under the age of 40 it is possible for any man to develop the disease. The exact cause of this form of cancer is not known however the male sex hormone, testosterone, has been found to influence the growth and spread of the tumour. Other risk factors include:
- Diet – high fat diets are thought to be linked to the development of prostate cancer.
- Genetics – this cancer sometimes runs in families.
- Ethnicity – prostate cancer is much more common in Northern European and black men than their Asian counterparts.
- Age – as a man ages the chances of him developing prostate cancer increase significantly.
Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer symptoms are very slow to present themselves meaning that many cases are already described as ‘advanced prostate cancer’ at the time of diagnosis. When they do occur however the symptoms of prostate cancer are normally associated with restriction of the urethra i.e. the tube that runs from the bladder to the outside of the body, and so the sufferer will experience such symptoms as:
- A weak urinary stream or an inability to pass normal amounts of urine.
- The feeling of needing to urinate only to find it is not possible.
- An increase in the frequency of urination, especially during the night.
- Occasionally pain when urinating or small amounts of blood in the urine.
Unfortunately not every man experiences these early symptoms of prostate cancer and so they only become aware of their condition when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body such as the bones, liver, lymph nodes and lungs. In these cases symptoms may include back pain, swollen lymph glands, shortness of breath and unexplained weight loss.
Treatment for Prostate Cancer
The prostate cancer treatment that is offered to a patient will depend on age, generally health and whether the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. If the cancer is confined to the prostate gland and general health is good then the best prostate cancer treatment would be to surgically remove the entire gland along with some of the surrounding tissue. Alternatively, providing the cancer is still in an early stage then radiation treatment for prostate cancer is another very beneficial choice.
If the cancer has spread beyond the original site then a prostate cancer cure may not be possible. However progress of the disease can be slowed dramatically using hormone therapy where drugs are given that block the action of testosterone on the growing tumour. There are a number of very potent and successful prostate cancer treatment options and each case will react differently to each option, thus it is important to learn as much about every individual case of prostate cancer as possible.
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