Prostate Cancer Symptoms
Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate a gland in the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty during urinating, sexual intercourse problems, erectile dysfunction and various other symptoms. The other symptoms are present only in an advanced stage of the disease.
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Prostate cancer is least common in South and East Asia, more common in Europe, and most common in the United States. It develops most frequently in men over fifty. This cancer can occur only in men, as the prostate is exclusively of the male reproductive tract. It is one of the most common types of cancer in men. However, many men who develop prostate cancer never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other causes. Many factors, including diet and genetics, have been implicated in the development of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is most often discovered by Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening and less commonly discovered by physical examination or signs/symptoms. There is some concern about the accuracy of the PSA test. Prostate cancer is typically confirmed by taking a biopsy of the prostate and examining it under a microscope. Other tests, such as CT scans, may be performed to determine whether prostate cancer has spread.
Surgery and radiation are options for treatment. Age, health, and the extent of spread, are important in determining the outcome of this disease.
Prostate cancer in early stages usually causes no symptoms. Often it is diagnosed during the visit for an elevated PSA noticed during a routine doctor visit. Sometimes prostate cancer does cause symptoms which include frequent urination, increased urination at night, difficulty starting and maintaining a steady stream of urine, blood in the urine, and painful urination.
Prostate cancer is associated with urinary dysfunction. Advanced prostate cancer may spread to other parts of the body, causing additional symptoms. The most common symptom is bone pain, often in the vertebrae, pelvis or ribs. Prostate cancer in the spine can also compress the spinal cord, causing weakness in the legs and urinary and fecal incontinence.
The specific causes of prostate cancer is still unknown. Risk of developing prostate cancer is related to age, genetics, diet, race, lifestyle, medications, and other factors. The primary risk factor is age. Prostate cancer is uncommon in men under the age 45, but becomes more common with advancing age. The average age at the time of diagnosis is around 70. However, many of the men never knew they had prostate cancer.
In the year 2005 in the United States, there were an estimated over 225,000 new cases of prostate cancer and 30,000 deaths due to this disease.
A man’s genetic background contributes to his risk of developing prostate cancer. In the United States, prostate cancer more commonly affects black men than Hispanic or white men, also being more deadly in black men. Men who have a father or brother with prostate cancer have twice the usual risk of developing prostate cancer.
Certain foods, minerals, and vitamins can contribute to prostate cancer risk. A long-term study reports that blood levels of trans fatty acids, in particular trans fats resulting from the hydrogenation of vegetable oils, are associated with an increased prostate cancer risk. Other dietary factors that may increase prostate cancer risk include low intake of vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and the mineral selenium. A study in 2007 cast doubt on the effectiveness of lycopene, which is found in tomatoes, in reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Lower levels of vitamin D in the blood, may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. Prostate cancer risk can be decreased by modifying known risk factors for prostate cancer, such as decreasing intake of animal fat.
Recent research found that US war veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange had a 48% increased risk of prostate cancer recurrence following surgery
There is some evidence that frequent sexual intercourse is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer, although risks associated with STDs have been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer. Once the lining of the prostate is affected with cancer, the only known treatments are surgery and radiation therapy. Both may limit the ability to have erections afterward.
Prostate cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer, common among older men. In fact, most prostate cancers never grow to the point where they cause symptoms, and most men with prostate cancer die of other causes before prostate cancer has an impact on their lives. The PSA screening test may detect these small cancers that may never become life threatening. The only test which can fully confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer is a biopsy, which involves the removal of small pieces of the prostate for microscopic examination.
An important part of evaluating prostate cancer is determining the stage, or how far the cancer has spread. Knowing the stage helps define prognosis and is useful when selecting therapies. Treatment for prostate cancer may involve waiting, surgery, radiation therapy, external beam radiation, High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), chemotherapy, cryosurgery, hormonal therapy, or some combination.
Prostate cancer develops most frequently in men over fifty. This cancer can occur only in men, as the prostate is exclusively of the male reproductive tract. It is the most common type of cancer in men in the United States, where it is responsible for more male deaths than any other cancer, except lung cancer. In the United Kingdom it is also the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer, where around 35,000 cases are diagnosed every year and of which around 10,000 die of it. However, many men who develop prostate cancer never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other causes.
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