Prostate Cancer
- The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
- Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer.
- Many prostate cancers grow slowly and are confined to the prostate gland, where they may not cause serious harm.
- However, while some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal or even no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly.
- Prostate cancer that’s detected early — when it’s still confined to the prostate gland — has the best chance for successful treatment.
Symptoms:-
Prostate cancer may cause no signs or symptoms in its early stages.
Prostate cancer that’s more advanced may cause 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
Causes:-
- It’s not clear what causes prostate cancer.
- Doctors know that prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate develop changes in their DNA.
- A cell’s DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do.
- The changes tell the cells to grow and divide more rapidly than normal cells do. The abnormal cells continue living, when other cells would die.
- The accumulating abnormal cells form a tumor that can grow to invade nearby tissue. In time, some abnormal cells can break away and spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
Risk factors:-
Factors that can increase your risk of prostate cancer include:-
- Older age. Your risk of prostate cancer increases as you age. It’s most common after age 50.
- Race. For reasons not yet determined, Black people have a greater risk of prostate cancer than do people of other races. In Black people, prostate cancer is also more likely to be aggressive or advanced.
- Family history. If a blood relative, such as a parent, sibling or child, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your risk may be increased. Also, if you have a family history of genes that increase the risk of breast cancer (BRCA1 or BRCA2) or a very strong family history of breast cancer, your risk of prostate cancer may be higher.
- Obesity. People who are obese may have a higher risk of prostate cancer compared with people considered to have a healthy weight, though studies have had mixed results. In obese people, the cancer is more likely to be more aggressive and more likely to return after initial treatment.
Prevention:-
You can reduce your risk of prostate cancer if you:-
- Choose a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables.
- Choose healthy foods over supplements
- Exercise most days of the week
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Talk to your doctor about increased risk of prostate cancer
Treatment:-
Depending on each case, treatment options for men with prostate cancer might include:-
- Observation or Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer
- Surgery for Prostate Cancer
- Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Cryotherapy for Prostate Cancer
- Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer
- Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer
- Targeted Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Treatments for Prostate Cancer Spread to Bones
