All You Need To Know About Prostate Cancer

What is prostate gland?

Normal prostate gland cells can transform into malignant cells and proliferate out of control to cause prostate cancer. Part of the semenic fluid is produced by the prostate gland. This gland surrounds the tube that transfers urine from the body, the urethra, by forming a ring below the bladder and in front of the rectum.

Males over the age of 50 are most commonly affected by prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is fairly common, yet most people do not pass away from it.

What indications are there for prostate cancer?

Initial indications of prostate cancer are frequently absent. But if symptoms do materialize, they may comprise the following:

• More frequent than usual urination
• Slower-than-normal urine flow

Other illnesses besides prostate cancer can potentially cause the same symptoms. Nonetheless, inform your doctor or nurse if you experience any of these symptoms.

Is there a test for prostate cancer ?

Yes. To check for prostate cancer, medical professionals perform a rectal exam and a PSA blood test. During a rectal exam, a doctor or nurse will put their finger into your anus and up into your rectum. To feel for any aberrant prostate tissue, they apply pressure to the rectum wall.

If your doctor or nurse has a suspicion that you have prostate cancer, they will order one or more tests as a follow-up. They may incorporate:

• A small sample of prostate tissue will be removed by a doctor during a biopsy. The sample will next be examined under a microscope by a different specialist to determine whether it contains cancer.
• Ultrasound, MRI scans, and other imaging procedures produce images of the interior of the body and may reveal abnormal growths.

What does cancer staging mean?

Medical professionals use cancer staging to determine the extent of a patient’s disease.

In what ways is prostate cancer treated?

Treatment options are frequently available to men with prostate cancer.

• Active surveilance: You won’t receive therapy straight away if you select active surveillance. But to see if the cancer is beginning to spread more fast, you will undergo routine tests. In that case, you can begin your active treatment.
• Surgery : Surgery to remove the prostate gland is sometimes used to treat prostate cancer.
• Radiation therapy: Cancer cells are destroyed by radiation in radiation therapy. A moving machine that delivers radiation to your body is one option. Another option is for a physician to insert a radiation source right into your prostate gland.
• Hormone therapy: Prostate cancer is fueled by the body’s production of male hormones. Hormone therapy lowers these hormones’ levels, which can shrink the malignancy. You may be prescribed medication for hormone therapy. You could even have your testicles surgically removed. Only those with advanced cancer typically receive this treatment. Nevertheless, radiation or surgery may also be used to treat some individuals with early-stage cancer.
• Chemotherapy: You will received drugs that either kill cancer cells or stop them from proliferating. If hormone therapy fails, chemotherapy could be used if you have advanced prostate cancer. In rare circumstances, hormone treatment and chemotherapy are administered concurrently.

Some individuals, particularly older men with with major medical concerns, may decide not to undertake any of the aforementioned things. They can choose for “watchful waiting” instead. Active surveillance is not the same as just waiting and watching. It involves treating symptoms as they arise and does not necessitate routine testing.

Which medical procedure should I choose?

The best course of treatment for you will require collaboration between you and your doctor. Which treatment is best will depend on:

• The stage of your cancer
• Your age
• Whether you have other health problems
• How you feel about the treatment options

A treatment should always be discussed with your doctors and nurses. Anytime a procedure is suggested to you, enquire:

• What advantages does this therapy offer? Will it probably make me live longer? Will the symptoms be lessened or avoided?
• What are the drawbacks to this course of treatment?
• Are there any alternatives to this course of action?
• What would happen if I didn’t get this treatment?

What follows a course of treatment?

After treatment, you might continue to be examined to see if the cancer returns or begins to spread more quickly. Some opt not to be examined. Examinations, biopsies, imaging tests, and PSA tests are examples of follow-up tests.

What will happen if the cancer recurs or spreads?

Further radiation therapy, surgery, or hormone therapy may be necessary if the cancer recurs. Immunotherapy or chemotherapy are alternative options. The word “immunotherapy” is used in medicine to describe drugs, including vaccines, that inhibit the growth of cancer by collaborating with the body’s natural defenses against infection.

Is prostate cancer preventable?

Those who have a high risk of developing prostate cancer may occasionally take a medication to aid in preventing the illness. See your doctor if prostate cancer runs in your family.

Read more: Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer Easily and Comfortably ≡ Know99