Prostate Cancer Symptoms

What is the prostate cancer?

The prostate gland is an organ placed at the base of the urinary bladder. This gland environs first part of urethra. The urethra is one of the important parts of the body through which urine exhausts from bladder to exit from penis. Controlling urination is one function of the prostate gland. This is controlled by pressing the part of urethra that it surrounds. Minerals and sugar are produced by the prostate glands which is the another function and these substances are found in normal semen.

In the young man, these prostate glands are of walnut size. During the normal aging, glands also grow larger. The process of increasing prostate glands with the age is known as benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). But this condition is not linked with the prostate cancer.

The prostate cancer is a malignant tumor which contains cells from the prostate gland. The growth of this tumor is very slow and it remains in the same gland for many years. At this time, tumor does not produce any signs or very little signs.

Causes of prostate cancer:

Cancer is a collection of abnormal cells which grow very fast than the normal cells and these cells are refused to die. Cancer cells have the capacity of destroying normal cells may be growing directly in to surrounding area or traveling to other parts of the body through the blood or the lymph system. Microscopic cells are created into the small structure and continually grow and become hard.

Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer:

Age: The age of men gets increases; the prostate cancer also increases naturally. The disease gets increases after the age of 55.
Race: The chances of occurrence of prostate cancer are higher in blacks, medium in whites and lower in native Japanese. The increase of risk of this cancer is linked with the race.
Diet: Studies says that the diet high in the saturated fat may cause the prostate cancer.
Family History: In developing the prostate cancer in men, genetics is also responsible. 10 Percent of the cases which are diagnosed are because of genetic mutation.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms:

Prostate cancer does not create any noticeable prostate cancer symptoms in the early stages, so many of the times it is detected when cancer increases beyond the prostate gland. In many men, prostate cancer is detected at the time of routine screening such as digital rectal exam (DRE) or the prostate specific antigen (PSA).

When the prostate cancer symptoms and signs occurs, they depends on the how severe the cancer is and how it spreads to other parts of the body.

Early prostate cancer symptoms and signs may include urinary problems. This occurs when tumor presses bladder or urine carrying tube from the urethra (bladder). Less than five percent of the cases of the prostate cancer have the urinary problems same as initial symptom. The urinary signs and symptoms are as given below:

Trouble urinating
Decreased force in the stream of urine
Starting and stopping while urinating

Cancer present in prostate or the area near the prostate may cause the following:

Blood in your semen
Blood in your urine

Prostate cancer after spreading to the lymph nodes in the pelvis can cause:

Discomfort in the pelvic area
Swelling in your legs

The advanced prostate cancer which spreads to the different bones of the body may cause:

Bone pain that doesn't go away
Compression of the spine
Bone fractures

Diagnosis of prostate cancer:

The diagnosis of the prostate glands depends on the result of the biopsy. Some tests are used for diagnosing the prostate glands:

Digital rectal examination (DRE):

In this test, physician inserts gloved, lubricated finger in the rectum for feeling the surface of prostate glands. Healthy tissues are soft while malignant tissues are hard, firm and even the stony. One third of the patient suffering from prostate glands has the normal DRE.

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS):

TRUS measures the size of the tumor and visually identifies the tumors. A probe which is inserted in the rectum that is emits the ultrasonic impulses besides the prostate. The images of prostate and nearer tissues are displays on the monitor, so doctor can monitor that. TRUS and the DRE are the effective screening tools for the prostate cancer.

PSA and PAP Tests:

Blood tests are taken for checking the prostate specific prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and antigen (PSA).

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA):

This is produced by the prostate capsule cells and the periurethral glands. The level of PSA is also determined in part by weight and size of prostate.

Free and total PSA (PSA II):

PSA present in the blood can bounds several proteins molecularly or may be exist in unbound or free state. Total PSA is sum of levels of both the forms.

Age-specific PSA:

The level of PSA increases with the age. For the men with the age 40-49, the normal PSA level is up to 2.5 ng/mL,for age 50-59, it is 3.5 ng/mL for age 60-69, it is 4.5 ng/ml and for the men 70 years old or older than that, it is 6.5 ng/m.

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) test:

Prostate tissues produce the enzymes, prostatic acid phosphatase. As the disease progresses, the PAP level also increases.

Treatment of prostate cancer:

The treatment is based on age of the patient and severity of the cancer. For deciding the treatment, doctor categorize the prostate cancer such as locally advanced (a large prostate tumor or one that has spread only locally), organ-confined (localized to the gland), or the metastatic (spread distantly or widely).

The treatment options for the locally advanced prostate cancer or organ confined prostate cancer usually include radiation therapy, surgery, hormonal therapy, cryotherapy, or the combinations of some of these treatments, and the watchful waiting.

The chemotherapy and hormonal therapy may be used for treating the prostate cancer. So they are called as palliative. The aim of palliative treatments is, at best and slows the growth of tumor and relief the prostate cancer symptoms.

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