Prostate
What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men. An estimated 219,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year with 27,000 men dying from this disease. The prostate is the part of the man’s reproductive system that makes seminal fluid, the fluid that helps carry sperm out of the man’s body. The prostate surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine flows. A normal and healthy prostate is about the size of a walnut, however if the prostate grows too large or has a tumor inside it can squeeze the urethra and inhibit the flow of urine.
Prostate Cancer Risk Factors
- Age. This is the main risk factor for prostate cancer. The disease is rare with men under the age of 45, but risk increases when a man ages. Most men in the United States with prostate cancer are over the age of 65.
- Family history. If a man’s father or brother has had prostate cancer then the risk increases.
- Race. Prostate cancer occurs more frequently in African-American men than it does in Caucasian men and less frequently in Asian and American Indian men.
- Certain prostate changes. Men with high concentrations of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) may be at an increased risk for prostate cancer. PIN is a noncancerous growth of cells lining the internal and external surfaces of the prostate.
- Diet. As with many cancers, diets high in animal fats may increase a man’s risk for developing prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer Prevention
The only controllable risk factor is diet. A diet low in animal meat may decrease your risk for developing prostate and other cancers. There is currently no correlation between smoking, a common risk factor for many cancers, and prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer Early Detection
Sometimes screenings are used to diagnose prostate cancer in its early stages. Screenings can help find cancer early however it has not been proven that early screening for prostate cancer contributes to a reduced death rate.
Not all men who have prostate cancer have any symptoms, however some common symptoms include difficulty having an erection, blood in the urine or semen and various urinary problems including but not limited to not being able to urinate and urine flow that starts and stops.
Currently, the only positive way to diagnose prostate cancer is through a transrectal biopsy. A doctor will insert a needle through the rectum and into the prostate. Small tissue samples will be taken and analyzed for abnormalities by a pathologist.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
There are many different treatment options for men with prostate cancer. Treatment options for prostate cancer can be divided into two main categories, local therapies and systematic therapies. Most of the time a successful prostate cancer treatment will use a combination of different therapies
A local therapy is directed at the area of the tumor. When cancer has spread, local therapies may used in several different locations. The two main local treatments for prostate cancer are surgery and radiation therapy.
A systematic therapy involves using a substance that travel through the bloodstream and can thus affect cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy are both systematic therapies. Hormone therapy is commonly used with prostate cancer.