Prostate cancer
Around 10,000 men in the UK die each year from prostate cancer.
That is the same number as women who die from breast cancer, and
yet the disease does not receive such a high profile.
Women are bombarded by information about breast cancer, ensuring
they are fully aware of what symptoms to look out for. Against
this, most men are ignorant of the signs of prostate cancer, and
ready information about the disease is limited.
Wives and partners can help by encouraging their men to look out
for the signs of the disease, to talk about it, and to take action
as soon as possible should any symptoms appear. These may include
weak or interrupted stream of urine that requires straining to
produce and, on completion, a man may feel that the bladder is
still not empty. Blood in the semen may also be a sign of prostate
cancer.
While these symptoms are most commonly found in benign
enlargements of the gland and are not specific to prostate cancer,
any man experiencing them needs to be checked by his GP.
More information about prostate cancer and its symptoms can be
found at:
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is the growth of malignant prostate
glandular cells in the prostate gland. These cells multiply and
have the potential to spread beyond the prostate gland. The
prostate gland, which is about the size of a walnut, sits between a
man's bladder and rectum in the pelvis. A key function of the
prostate gland is to provide sperm with the necessary nutrients and
help in their maturation. Prostatic fluids also help to protect
sperm travelling in the female reproductive system.
Prevalence
Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the UK,
accounting for almost one in four of the male cancers. Each year,
nearly 32,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and
more than 10,000 die from it. Prostate cancer predominantly affects
men over the age of 65. The illness is more common in men of
Afro-Caribbean or African-American descent and in western
countries.
Detection
The digital rectal exam (DRE) and the Prostate-Specific Antigen
(PSA) blood test are the two most common screening methods of
detecting prostate cancer.
Staging of prostate cancer
When a doctor finds prostate cancer, he or she will try to
determine the extent of the disease. This is called clinical
staging. The doctor may use various diagnostic tests to find out
whether the cancer has spread, and if so to which location. The
stage of the disease, later combined with its pathological grade,
will help determine treatment options.
Progression of prostate cancer
Most prostate cancers will grow slowly. However, in some cases
prostate cancer can grow rapidly regardless of the patient's age
and can become life threatening. If it is not treated, the cancer
may spread beyond the prostate gland, reach surrounding tissue and
organs, and eventually spread to other parts of the body.
Treatment of prostate cancer
There are many forms of treatment for prostate cancer. The
"best" treatment depends on several factors: the disease clinical
stage, pathological grade, the man's age and life expectancy, his
doctor's recommendations and his own decisions and
expectations.
-Watchful waiting
With watchful waiting, there is no immediate prostate
cancer treatment. During the watchful
waiting period, the physician keeps the cancer under close
watch.
Prostate cancer often develops very slowly. With watchful
waiting, the patient takes the time to
consider possible treatment options. In some cases,
particularly with older men, the prostate
cancer patient will die of other causes rather than from
prostate cancer.
-LDR brachytherapy
Low
dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy is a minimally invasive procedure
where tiny permanent
radioactive seeds (about the size of a grain of rice) are
implanted into the prostate. The
seeds remain in the prostate, where the radioactive
material gives off localised radiation for a
number of months to destroy the prostate cancer.
Seed implantation is an effective treatment for men with
localised prostate cancer. It requires
no surgical incision and offers men a short recovery time.
LDR Brachytherapy can be an
outpatient procedure, and most men go home the same day as
their treatment. Additionally,
most men can return to their normal activities a few days
after treatment.
-Surgery
Radical prostatectomy is major surgery performed under
general or regional anaesthesia that
removes the entire prostate gland plus some surrounding
tissue. The goal is to remove the
cancer entirely and prevent its spread to other parts of
the body. Some surgeons are now
using laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery to remove the
prostate and cancer completely.
A radical prostatectomy is generally recommended only for
men in good general condition who
can withstand long anaesthesia and recovery period and
have a life expectancy of ten years or
more.
-External beam radiation
External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) treats prostate
cancer with radiation. During the
treatment, a machine targets a beam of ionising
irradiation at the target tissue. The
treatment damages genetic material in all dividing cells
within the target lesion. This prevents
the cells from growing and they eventually die. Patients
undergoing EBRT generally receive
treatment at an outpatient centre five days a week for six
to eight consecutive weeks. EBRT is
an option when the cancer is confined to the prostate
gland, it may be used alone or
combined with medications or surgery.
-Hormone therapy
Testosterone regulates the growth and development of the
prostate gland. However, when
prostate cancer develops, testosterone can make the cancer
grow much faster. Hormone
therapy stops or blocks the testicles making testosterone
and thereby slows the spread or
growth of the cancer.
Hormone therapy may also be used to shrink the size of the
prostate gland before another
kind of treatment such as radiotherapy or brachytherapy.
Men whose cancer has returned after
radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy may be offered
hormonal therapy.
Living with prostate cancer
Early detection and adequate treatment aim to eliminate prostate
cancer or to prevent it from progressing, which can greatly reduce
the risk of dying from the disease and the occurrence of painful
symptoms. Like any form of treatment, prostate cancer treatment can
pose physical, psychological and emotional challenges, and some
treatments require extensive recovery time. The patient may also
have to deal with relational, sexual and other issues during the
course of treatment and recovery.
General Disclaimer
This page is designed for educational purposes only and is not
engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The
information provided through these pagess should not be used for
diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a
substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may
have a health problem, you should consult your health care
provider.