Prostate cancer is the most commonly found cancer among the men in western world. One out of every six American men is affected with this cancer. It is cancer in the prostate glands of male reproductive organ.

In most of the cases, it is slow growing, but there even cases of advance stages, where the cancer has spread to other body parts such as bones and lymph nodes.

Before knowing about prostate cancer, first of all let us see what prostate gland is actually and what does it do. This will help in better understanding of the cancer. Prostate gland is walnut sized gland, which is located under the urinary bladder and in front of rectum.

Prostate gland secretes mildly alkaline fluid, which is milky in color. This fluid constitutes of nearly 1/3rd of semen. This fluid helps in extending the sperm lifespan, and also helps in neutralizing the acidity of vaginal area.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

Symptoms of prostate cancer are not shown by everyone. In most of the cases, the symptoms are usually identified during the regular health check up. However, patients’ complaint about the following symptoms, which includes:

• Frequent urge for urination
• Nocturia, frequent urination during night
• Experiencing pain, and burning sensation during urination
• Experiencing difficult in starting of urine
• Difficultly in maintaining study stream of urine
• Experiencing problems in sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hematuria – Blood in urine
• Blood in semen
• Experiencing regular pain and stiffness in lower back, upper thighs, or hips

When it is the case of advanced prostate cancer, where the cancer has spread to other parts then symptoms such as pain in bones, particularly in bones located in pelvis, spine, and in ribs are shown.

Causes

Actual causes of prostate cancer are still unknown. But, more commonly, the age factor, race, and family history are standing as the main risk factors that are causing this cancer.

• Age: The risk factor for the cause of this cancer increases as the age increases. It is very uncommon to find symptoms of this cancer in 45 years aged man. In general, the symptoms can be diagnosed at an age of 70.
• Family History: This is another main cause of prostate cancer. The risk factor doubles, if a person’s father or brother is suffering from this cancer.
• Race: American African men are at higher risk of getting affected than the Caucasian or Hispanic male population of America.
• Consumption of red meat and processed meat
• Lower Vitamin D levels in blood
• Taking higher doses of multivitamins
• Higher alcohol consumption.
• Elevated testosterone levels in blood
• Obesity
• Cigarette smoking

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

The only diagnostic test available for prostate cancer is prostate biopsy. In general, prostate biopsy is advised only when the PSA levels in the blood are high. Biopsy is generally done on out-patient basis. Local anesthesia is given and a small piece of prostate is removed by inserting a biopsy gun.

A microscopic examination is done on this piece with respect to the Gleason score to confirm cancer. Apart from this, prostate imaging techniques Ultrasound, and MRI is also used for detection.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Generally, progression of prostate cancer is very slow. Thus, no treatment method is necessary in most of the cases. It is best for the initial stage prostate cancer patients to go active surveillance. This involves having regular blood test, or biopsies to monitor the progression of cancer. This helps in avoiding the side effects of the treatments such as erectile dysfunction, and involuntary urine leakage.

However, there are even cases of advanced prostate cancer. For these cases, treatment for prostate cancer is decided depending upon the Gleason score, and PSA levels. The available treatment methods for advanced prostate cancer include prostatectomy surgery, radiotherapies, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy.

Prostate Cancer Surgery

Prostatectomy is the surgical method of treatment for prostate cancer. In this method, prostate gland, and surrounding tissues are removed by making a surgical incision. Types of prostatectomy surgeries done include

• Radical retropubic prostatectomy, in which incision is made in abdomen for removing prostate gland
• Radical perineal prostatectomy, in which incision is made in perineum for removing prostate gland
• Nerve-sparing prostatectomy, in which the very edges of the prostate gland are cut. While doing this surgery at most care is taken to spare the erectile nerve that run all over the gland.

Radiotherapy:
Radiotherapy involves in killing of cancer cells in prostate gland and its surrounding tissues with the help of radiation. Various radiotherapies include

• External Beam Radiotherapy: This is the most common radiotherapy used in prostate cancer treatment. In this X-Rays are targeted on the areas containing cancer cells.
• Proton Therapy: In this treatment method, proton beam is used for killing the cancer cells. Advantage of using proton beam over the external beam radiotherapy is that in this method just the prostate cancer cells are targeted and killing, but not the surrounding tissues.
• Prostate brachytherapy: In this method, with the help of small needles tiny radioactive iodine, or palladium palates are inserted directly in the prostate glands. These palates are placed exactly where the cancer cells are existing. These palates will be emitting radiation, which gradually kills the cancer cells in few months.

Chemotherapy:
This method involves in using of various chemotherapy drugs for controlling, or killing of prostate cancer cells.

Hormonal Therapy:

Another name for this therapy is androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). In this method, testosterone, which is the fuel for prostate gland cells, is stopped from being released, or prevented from being acting on prostate cells. This helps in stopping the progression of prostate cancer.

Apart from these methods, a person can also go for primary hormone therapy, or cryotherapy, or High-intensity focused ultrasound for treating prostate cancer.

Self Help Tips

As we all know that prevention is better than cure. Here are some self help techniques that will help in preventing the risk factors of prostate cancer.

• Exercise regularly, and take healthy diet in order to maintain a healthy weight.
• Minimizing the red meat, and processed meat intake.
• Consume more fish as this increased the omega-3 fatty acids intake
• Avoiding overdosed intake of multivitamin intake
• Avoid alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking
• Eating broccoli and cauliflower.
• Avoiding stress at home and work.