Page contents
- What is prostate cancer?
- symptoms
- Causes and risk factors
- Multiples
- Diagnosis
- treatment
- protection
Prostate cancer is cancer that forms and develops within the walnut-shaped prostate gland, which is responsible for producing the semen that nourishes and transports sperm cells.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers seen in males. Getting a diagnosis of prostate cancer can be a frightening event, not only because it is a life-threatening disease but also because prostate cancer treatment can lead to a variety of Side effects, including problems with bladder control, and impotence such as erectile dysfunction in men.
The methods of diagnosis and treatment options available in prostate cancer have improved a lot in recent years, which is helped by the fact that prostate cancer is usually confined to the confines of the prostate gland, so the damage is not significant and dangerous.
While some forms of prostate cancer grow moderately and need only minimal or no treatment for the prostate, other types of it can be aggressive and spread quickly.
If prostate cancer is detected in the early stages of the disease when it is still confined to the prostate gland, the chances of getting treatment that will defeat prostate cancer are greater.
Prostate cancer symptoms
In its early stages, prostate cancer is usually not accompanied by any identifiable side effects. Too many cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed until after the cancerous tumor has spread outside the gland.
In most men, prostate cancer is often first detected during a routine PSA-specific antigen (PSA) test or DRE-Digital Rectal Examination, when early signs or symptoms related to their nature are already present. The degree of development of the cancerous tumor or the extent of its spread to other organs.
The first symptoms of a cancerous tumor in the prostate gland may include problems with urination caused by pressure that the cancerous tumor places on the bladder or on the tube that carries urine from the bladder.
Urination problems can usually be a sign of many benign non-malignant problems in the prostate gland, such as: benign prostatic hyperplasia, or prostatitis, as less than 5% of prostate cancer cases are accompanied by urination problems as the first and primary sign.
Here is an explanation of the symptoms of prostate cancer:
1. Signs associated with urination problems
Signs that may indicate problems with urination include:
difficulty urinating
- The beginning of urine output and then stopping more than once during urination.
- Increased pressure in the flow of urine.
2. Signs of its spread in nearby areas
As for prostate cancer or in areas near the prostate gland, it can cause the following symptoms:
- Appearance of blood in the urine.
- The appearance of blood in the semen.
3. Signs of spread to the lymph nodes
If prostate cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, it may lead to:
- swelling in the legs;
- Feeling of discomfort in the pelvis.
4. Signs of spread to the bones
If prostate cancer has spread to the bones, it can lead to the following symptoms:
Prostate cancer causes and risk factors
Cancer is a group of abnormal cells that multiply faster than normal cells and refuse to die, and cancer cells have the ability to invade and destroy healthy tissue, either by growing directly on top of the surrounding tissue or after moving to other organs in the body Via the circulatory system or through the lymph nodes.
A microscopic carcinoma that can only be seen with a microscope can develop in the form of small clusters that continue to grow and develop into denser and more solid tissue.
It is not yet known the exact cause that leads to the formation and development of prostate cancer, and why certain types of cancerous tumors behave differently than others, researchers believe that a combination of several different factors are responsible for this development and constitute a key to understanding it. These factors include: genetics, ethnicity , hormones, nutrition and environmental factors,
in the following details:
1. Awareness
Awareness of the risk factors for prostate cancer is an important element that can help a person make decisions about whether they need screening for early detection of prostate cancer.
2. Age
Over the age of 50, the risk of prostate cancer increases.
3. Family medical history
If a sibling or father has had prostate cancer, the risk of developing it is increased, and is much higher than that of other men.
4. Nutrition
Men who eat a diet rich in fat and men who are overweight are more likely to develop prostate cancer. One theory is that fat encourages the production of the hormone testosterone, which can encourage the production of cancer cells.
5. High levels of testosterone
Since the hormone testosterone stimulates and speeds up the growth of the prostate gland, men who take treatment that forms the basis of this hormone or its main compound are more likely to develop prostate cancer than men who have lower levels of testosterone.
Doctors also worry that testosterone therapy may stimulate the growth and spread of prostate cancer if it is already present, and that prolonged and continuous testosterone therapy may also lead to an enlarged prostate gland.
Prostate cancer complications
Complications from prostate cancer may be a direct result of the disease itself or as a result of treatment. One of the biggest concerns for men with prostate cancer as a whole is that the necessary treatments will cause them to have premature ejaculation or the inability to achieve an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse.
There are different treatments available today by which these problems can be faced and treated. The most common complications that accompany prostate cancer include the following:
- Depression.
- Cancer spread and spread.
- Aches.
- Difficulty urinating.
- Poor sexual performance or complete impotence.
Prostate cancer diagnosis
Prostate cancer may be asymptomatic at first. It's very possible that the first symptom to appear is a specific problem that's only discovered by one of the various screening tests, such as:
- Digital Rectal Examination (DRE - Digital Rectal Examination).
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
- Ultrasound imaging through the anus.
- Biopsy of the prostate gland.
Determining the extent of prostate cancer spread
After the diagnosis of prostate cancer is confirmed, other tests may be needed to determine the extent of the cancer. Most men do not need further tests and can proceed directly to treatment, which is decided on the basis of the characteristics of the tumor and based on the results of the PSA screening test. , through the following:
- Bone scan.
- Ultrasound imaging.
- Computerized tomography (CT).
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- A biopsy of the lymph nodes.
Prostate cancer classification
When the results of the biopsy test confirm the presence of a cancerous tumor, the next step is the classification, which aims to determine the extent of the cancer's lethality and spread, tissue samples are examined and a comparison is made between the cancerous cells and the healthy prostate cells.
The greater the degree of difference between cancerous cells and healthy cells, the higher the level of lethality of the cancer and the more likely it is that it will spread more quickly.
Cancer cells usually vary in shape and size. Some of these cells may be very lethal while others are not. A pathologist can identify the two most lethal types of cancer cells and diagnose their severity and severity.
The most common grading for prostate cancer is determined by the Gleason Scale, and the Gleason Score gives a score of 1-5 for the two most common types of prostate cancer, depending on the shape of the cells under the microscope.
The sum of the two numbers obtained determines the general grading of the cancerous tumor of the particular person being examined, and this grading can range from 2-10 and is a very deadly cancer.
Prostate cancer staging
After determining the severity and lethality of prostate cancer, the next step is called staging, which determines how far the cancer has spread. Prostate cancer is usually graded according to four levels, depending on how far it has spread:
- Grade I: This indicates a very early stage of the cancer, as it is still confined to a microscopic area that the doctor cannot sense by touch.
- Grade 2: In this grade, the cancerous tumor can be felt, but it is still confined to the prostate gland only.
- Grade III: In this grade, the cancerous tumor has metastasized and spread outside the prostate gland, to the seminal vesicles, or to adjacent tissues.
- Grade IV: In this stage, the cancerous tumor has spread to the lymph nodes, bones, lungs, or other parts of the body.
Prostate cancer treatment
There is more than one way to treat prostate cancer. For some men, a combination of a number of treatments, such as surgery with radiotherapy, or radiotherapy with hormonal therapy, is the best solution for their cases.
Choosing the best treatment method for each particular case depends on several factors, including how quickly the cancerous tumor grows, how far the tumor has spread, the man's age, how long he is expected to live, and the potential pros and cons that accompany each treatment.
The most common and used treatments for prostate cancer include the following:
1. External radiotherapy
In external beam radiation therapy, very strong X-rays are used to destroy cancer cells. This type of radiation is very effective in destroying cancerous cells, but it may also attack healthy tissues.
Complications and side effects of external radiotherapy include the following:
- Difficulty urinating.
- Loose stools and bloody stools, any bleeding from the anus.
- Feeling of malaise and discomfort during bowel work or feeling the need to work the intestines continuously and continuously.
- Side effects during sexual activity.
2 radioactive implants
In recent years, the implantation of a radioactive implant into the prostate gland has become an accepted and popular treatment method for prostate cancer.
This implant, which is called brachytherapy, ie radiation treatment that uses ionizing radiation, where the radiation source is placed at a short distance from the body or organ being treated, and gives a much higher radiation dose than external radiation therapy and over a longer period of time.
This treatment method is usually used to treat men whose carcinomas are small to medium in size and who are low-grade in terms of the degree of their disease.
Complications and side effects of the radioactive implant implantation include the following:
- Difficulty urinating.
- Side effects during sexual activity.
- Rectal symptoms.
3. Hormonal treatments
Hormone therapy aims to prevent the body from producing the male hormone testosterone, which can stimulate the production of cancer cells.
Side effects of hormonal therapy include:
- Breast enlargement.
- Suppressed sexual desire.
- impotence;
- Waves of fever.
- overweight.
- Decreased muscle mass and bone mass.
Medicines whose main components are hormones can cause the following:
- nausea.
- Diarrhea.
- exhaustion.
- Some damage to the liver.
4. Resection of the prostate gland
Removing the prostate gland by a surgical procedure called a prostatectomy is often performed as a way to treat a cancerous tumor that is still confined to the inside of the prostate gland.
During the operation, the surgeon uses a number of special techniques to remove the prostate gland and the nearby lymph nodes. This surgery can affect the muscles and nerve groups that control urination and sexual abilities.
There are two surgical methods to remove the prostate gland: surgery above the pubic line, and surgery to the perineum, which is the area between the anus and the scrotum in the male.
Side complications of prostatectomy include impotence.
5. Blood test
A blood test designed to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA-Prostate-specific antigen), can help detect prostate cancer in its early stages, this test allows many men to choose a period of waiting and waiting under close watch as one of the treatment methods.
6. Other treatments
Treatments include the following:
- chemical treatment.
- Freezing treatment.
- Gene therapy.
Prostate cancer prevention
Prostate cancer cannot be prevented, but several measures can be taken to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer or limit its development if it has already formed, including the following:
- healthy nutrition
- Do regular physical activity.
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