What is Prostate Cancer?

May 27, 2022 Arrive Alive User 1 Comment

When cells in the prostate gland begin to grow out of control, prostate cancer develops. Males have a small walnut-shaped gland called the prostate that generates seminal fluid, which nourishes and transports sperm.

One of the most common forms of cancer is prostate cancer. Many prostate cancers are slow-growing and limited to the prostate gland, where they are unlikely to cause much harm. While some varieties of prostate cancer are slow-growing and need little or no therapy, others are aggressive and spread.

Early detection of prostate cancer, when it’s still restricted to the prostate gland, gives you the best chance of successful therapy.

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CAUSES

The exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown.

Prostate cancer develops when cells in the prostate have mutations in their DNA, according to doctors. The DNA of a cell includes the instructions that tell it what to do. The alterations cause the cells to divide and expand at a faster rate than normal ones. When other cells would die, abnormal cells continue to live.

The abnormal cells join together to become a tumor, which can spread and infect surrounding tissue. Some abnormal cells can split away and move to other places of the body over time (metastasize).

Although the specific origin of prostate cancer is unknown, researchers are investigating various risk factors to see if they have a role in prostate cancer development.

Symptoms

In the early stages of prostate cancer, there may be no signs or symptoms.

When men have advanced prostate cancer, they may suffer certain symptoms in rare circumstances. These symptoms, yet, are also present in many men who do not have cancer, so it’s advisable to talk to a doctor about them before drawing any conclusions.

Prostate cancer that has progressed may show signs and symptoms such as:

Trouble urinating
Decreased force in the stream of urine
Blood in the urine
Blood in the semen
Bone pain
Losing weight without trying
Erectile dysfunction

Risk Factors

Certain men are at a higher risk for prostate cancer than others, which may influence when they should begin screening. The risk rises with age, especially beyond the age of 50. The following are some of the risk factors:

Race: Black people have a higher risk of prostate cancer than those of other races for unknown reasons. Prostate cancer is also more likely to be aggressive or advanced in Black men.
Family history: If a blood-related diagnosed with prostate cancer, such as a parent, brother, or kid, your risk may be enhanced. Additionally, if you have a significant family history of breast cancer or a gene that increases the risk of breast cancer (BRCA1 or BRCA2), your risk of prostate cancer increases.
High-fat diet/Obesity: Obese people may have a greater risk of prostate cancer than people regarded to be of ideal weight, while studies have yielded inconsistent results. Obese people are more likely to have cancer that is more aggressive and that returns after therapy.

Prevention

If you do the following, you can lower your chance of prostate cancer:

Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Consume a diverse selection of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Many vitamins and nutrients are found in fruits and vegetables, which can benefit your health. The possibility of preventing prostate cancer with nutrition has yet to be proven. But, eating a well-balanced diet that includes a range of fruits and vegetables can help to improve your general health.
Avoid supplements in favor of nutritious diets. Supplements have not been found to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer in trials. Instead, eat foods that are high in vitamins and minerals to keep your vitamin levels balanced in your body.
Work out at least five days a week. Exercise benefits your general health, helps you maintain a healthy weight, and lifts your spirits. Make an effort to exercise on most days of the week. If you’re new to fitness, begin slowly and gradually increase your exercise time each day.
Keep a healthy weight. If your present weight is healthy, make an effort to keep it that way by eating well and exercising most days of the week. If you want to lose weight, increase your exercise and cut your daily calorie intake. Consult your doctor for help in devising a weight-loss strategy that is both healthy and effective.
Discuss your elevated risk of prostate cancer with your doctor. If you have a very high risk of prostate cancer, you and your doctor may want to look into medicines or other treatments. According to certain studies, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors such as finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart) may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. These medications are used to treat enlargement of the prostate gland and hair loss.

But, some research suggests that men who use these drugs may be at a higher risk of developing a more dangerous form of prostate cancer (high-grade prostate cancer). Consult your doctor if you’re concerned about your risk of acquiring prostate cancer.

Treatments

Your prostate cancer treatment options are determined by some criteria, including the rate at which your cancer is developing, whether it has spread, and your overall health, as well as the treatment’s possible benefits and adverse effects.

Possible that immediate therapy is not needed.

Low-grade prostate cancer may not need immediate treatment. Some people may never need treatment. Rather, active surveillance is recommended by doctors.

Regular follow-up blood tests, rectal exams, and prostate biopsies may be performed during active surveillance to test the course of your cancer. You may choose a prostate cancer treatment such as surgery or radiation if testing reveals your cancer is progressing.

The prostate is removed during surgery.

The prostate gland, some surrounding tissue, and a few lymph nodes are all removed during prostate cancer surgery (radical prostatectomy).

Surgery is a treatment option for prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It’s often used also in other treatments to treat advanced prostate cancer.

Surgeons may use a procedure that includes making many small incisions in your belly to gain access to the prostate. Surgical instruments are attached to a mechanical device (robot) and introduced via many small incisions in your belly during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. The surgeon sits at a panel and guides the robot to manipulate the instruments with hand controls. This method is used in the majority of prostate cancer procedures.

Making a single lengthy abdominal incision. The surgeon makes one long incision in your lower abdomen to access and remove the prostate gland during retropubic surgery. This is a less common strategy, but it may be necessary for some circumstances.

Consult your doctor to determine which form of surgery is best for you.

Radiotherapy

Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by blasting them with high-powered energy. It may include:

Radiation is delivered from outside the body (external beam radiation). You lie on a table while an external beam radiation machine rotates around your body, directing high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays or protons, to your prostate cancer. External beam radiation treatments are usually given five days a week for several weeks. Some medical institutes offer a radiation therapy course that uses larger doses of radiation spaced out over fewer days. When it comes to prostate cancer, external beam radiation is a viable alternative. It can also be administered after surgery to cut any remaining cancer cells if there’s a chance cancer could spread or return. Radiation therapy can help reduce the growth of prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones, and relieve symptoms like pain.
Radiation that is injected into your body (brachytherapy). Brachytherapy is a treatment that includes injecting radioactive sources into the prostate tissue. The radiation is usually delivered in the form of rice-sized radioactive seeds that are implanted into your prostate tissue. Over a lengthy period of time, the seeds release a tiny dosage of radiation. One treatment option for prostate cancer that hasn’t gone beyond the prostate is brachytherapy.

Doctors may recommend both types of radiation therapy in some cases.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is a medication that prevents your body from creating testosterone, the male hormone. Testosterone is required for prostate cancer cells to develop. Cancer cells may die or develop more if their testosterone supply is cut off.

Hormone therapy includes the following options:

Medications that inhibit testosterone production in the body. Agonists and antagonists of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) or gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) hinder your body’s cells from receiving messages to generate testosterone. Your testicles quit making testosterone as a result.
Anti-testosterone drugs prevent testosterone from reaching cancer cells. Anti-androgens are used in concert with LHRH agonists. This is due to the fact that LHRH agonists can cause a brief spike in testosterone before testosterone levels drop.
Testicular surgery (removal of the testicles) (orchiectomy). Testosterone levels in the body are promptly and drastically reduced after your testicles are removed. Surgery to remove the testicles, unlike medicine, is permanent and irrevocable.

Hormone therapy is often used to reduce and halt the progression of advanced prostate cancer.

Hormone therapy is sometimes used before radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer that hasn’t spread. It aids in the reduction of tumor size and improves the efficiency of radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses medications to kill rapidly multiplying cells, such as cancer cells. Given by a vein in your arm, as a tablet, or a combination of both.

Prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body may enjoy chemotherapy treatment. For malignancies that don’t respond to hormone therapy, chemotherapy may be an option.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that makes use of your immune system. Because cancer cells create proteins that assist them to hide from immune system cells, your body’s disease-fighting immune system may not attack your cancer. Immunotherapy works by interfering with the immune system’s natural processes.

Immunotherapy for prostate cancer can include:

Create cancer-fighting cells in your body. The Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) treatment uses your own immune cells, genetically alters them in a lab to attack prostate cancer, and then injects them back into your body through a vein. It’s a treatment option for advanced prostate cancer that has failed to react to hormone therapy.
Assisting your immune cells in detecting cancer cells. Immunotherapy medications, which assist immune system cells to recognize and target cancer cells, are a treatment option for advanced prostate tumors that have failed to react to hormone therapy.

Targeted drug therapy

Targeted drug treatments are designed to target specific abnormalities found in cancer cells. It can kill cancer cells by inhibiting these aberrations.

If hormone therapy isn’t working, targeted therapy medications may be given to treat advanced or recurring prostate cancer.

Some targeted medicines are only effective in patients with cancer cells that contain specific genetic abnormalities.

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