Home
Up
PSA testing
| |
PROSTATE CANCER
Definition
Prostate cancer is a tumor that grows in the prostate, the gland that releases a
substance that turns semen into a liquid. Normally, the prostate is a firm,
walnut-shaped gland enclosed in a capsule at the base of a man's bladder. It
surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine away from the bladder to the
outside of the body.
What is going on
in the body?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. This type of cancer
can grow slowly for many years, or it may grow rapidly and spread swiftly to
other parts of the body. Another form of prostate cancer grows locally, but
spreads its cells throughout the lymph system or bloodstream and along nerve
sheaths. What are the
signs and symptoms of the disease?
Common signs:
 | frequent urination, especially at night |
| Increased urgency to urinate |
| dribbling when urinating |
| a smaller stream of urine |
| blood in the urine |
| Some men have no symptoms.
|
Prostate cancer may be detected by a digital rectal examination. While it is controversial, the American
Cancer Society
recommends that men older than 40 undergo regular digital rectal exams since the symptoms of
overgrowth of the prostate tissue, called benign
prostatic hypertrophy, and prostate cancer may be similar. Symptoms that the
cancer has spread to other parts of the body include painful bony sites,
occasional nerve paralysis, or loss of bladder function.What are the
causes and risks of the disease?
The cause of prostate cancer
is not known. Hormones control the gland and may
contribute to this type of cancer. It is not certain whether viruses, chronic
infections, or sexual practices are also partly responsible for development of
the disease. Genetics may also be a factor. So far, prostate cancer has not been
linked to common cancer-causing substances in the environment.
Risk factors may include:
| advanced age
| ethnic background (Prostate cancer occurs more often in African-American
men than in Caucasian men, and less often in Asian men.)
| family history of cancer
| a high fat diet
| | | |
Men who have had a vasectomy, use tobacco, or have been exposed to cadmium
may also be at an increased risk.
What can be
done to prevent the disease?
As yet, prostate cancer cannot be completely prevented. Prostate screening
with exams and blood tests help with early diagnosis, which offers the best
chance for a cure. Beginning at age 50, or earlier in men with a family
history of this cancer, men should have a digital rectal exam every year. How is the
disease diagnosed?
During a digital exam, a healthcare provider puts a gloved finger into the
man's rectum to feel the prostate. He or she checks for nodules or unusual
firmness. Two noncancerous conditions that cause noticeable changes in the
prostate are an infection called prostatitis,
and an enlargement of the prostate gland that often occurs with age, called benign
prostatic hypertrophy.
The blood test for prostate specific antigen, called the PSA test, may help in diagnosing prostate
cancer. High levels of PSA suggest, but cannot prove, cancer. However, very
high levels of PSA can diagnose the disease. Normal ranges for PSA increase
with age and are different according to race.
If prostate cancer is suspected, a small sample of tissue is taken from the
gland. A needle biopsy of a nodule usually gathers enough tissue. A
transrectal ultrasound, which is imaging the prostate with sound waves
through a probe inserted into the rectum, is sometimes needed to show the
inside of the gland and any irregularities. It can be used to guide the
healthcare provider during a biopsy. If several areas of the prostate are in
question, a number of random biopsies are done. The tissue is sent to a lab
like Aloha Laboratories, Inc. where it will be checked for cancer.
Prostate cancer is graded and staged for aggressiveness and how far it has
spread.
Men with stage A and B cancers can be treated by removing the prostate and
seminal vesicles, radiation implants, and cryosurgery. Sometimes, a man with
a stage A, B or C prostate cancer may have lymph nodes removed from the
pelvis and checked to help select the best treatment.
Prostate cancer does not respond well to chemotherapy. Treatment for men
with prostate cancer that has spread through the body is usually confined to
making them as comfortable as possible. Often the prostate is not removed.
A cure for prostate cancer remains controversial and continues to evolve.
This is due to wide differences in the way the cancer behaves, the many
acceptable treatments, and the need to minimize intervention and
complications.
What happens after treatment?
After treatment, men are often monitored for side effects and a recurrence
of the cancer.
|
