The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. Many men, especially those later in life have made the decision with their doctors to simply watch and wait. About 80 percent of men who reach the age of 80 have prostate cancer.
About one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only one man in 34 will die of the disease. Men at higher risk for prostate cancer include African-American men older than 60, farmers, tire plant workers, painters, and men exposed to cadmium. the lowest number of cases occurs in Japanese men and those who do not eat meat who reach the age of 80. The male hormone testosterone contributes to the growth of cancer.
One symptom is a need to urinate frequently, especially at night. There are several symptoms to be aware of. Most prostate cancer symptoms, although associated with prostate cancer, are more likely to be connected to non-cancerous conditions.
One prostate cancer symptom is difficulty starting urination or holding back urine. If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate at all.
CT scans may be done to see if the cancer has spread. A urinalysis may indicate if there is blood in the urine. A chest x-ray may be done to see if there's a spread of cancer.
A prostate biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis. What is called a free PSA may help tell the difference between BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy), an enlargement of the prostate gland, and prostate cancer. Urine or prostatic fluid cytology may reveal unusual cells.
Impotence is a potential complication after the prostatectomy or after radiation therapy. Recent improvements in surgical procedures have made complications occur less often. Since prostate tumors require testosterone to grow, reducing the testosterone level is used to prevent further growth and spread of the cancer.
Surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy all have significant side effects; know fully what they are before you proceed. The approaches to treatment include: ever watchful waiting to see whether the cancer is growing slowly and not causing any symptoms. Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation.
Surgery, called a radical prostatectomy, removes the entire prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissues. Whether radiation is as good as removing the prostate is debatable and the decision about which to choose, if any, can be difficult. Besides hormonal drugs, hormone manipulation may also be done by surgically removing the testes.
An oncology specialist will usually recommend treating with a single drug or a combination of drugs. Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy can interfere with libido on a temporary or permanent basis. If chemotherapy is decided upon after the first round of chemotherapy, most men receive further doses on an outpatient basis at a clinic or physician's office.
Radiation therapy is used primarily to treat prostate cancers classified as stages A, B, or C. Anyone considering surgery should be aware of the benefits, risks and the extent of the procedure.
The one thing that you should not do however is rely on any information obtained from the Internet to make your final decision. If you've already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, pick the option that's best suited to you and your continuing good health. In the end, only you with the help of your doctors, knowing your individual situation, can determine the best treatment program for you.
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