Prostate Cancer - Its Symptoms, Stages along with Different Treatment Methods

Prostate cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in a man's prostate gland.

Prostate gland (is a nut-shaped gland in men) that produces seminal fluid, the fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. It makes part of the fluid for semen.

In young men, the prostate is about the size of a walnut. This grows with age.

Cancer occurs when cells of the prostate mutate and begin to multiply out of control. These cells may spread (metastasize) from the prostate to other parts of the body, especially the bones and lymph nodes.

Occurrences of prostate cancer vary widely across the world. The high rates may be affected by increasing rates of detection.

prostate cancerProstate cancer develops most frequently in men over fifty. This cancer can only occur in men, as the prostate is exclusively of the male reproductive tract.

For many men a diagnosis of prostate cancer can be frightening, not only because of the threat to their lives, but because of the threat to their sexuality.

In fact, the possible consequences of treatment for prostate cancer which include bladder control problems and erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence can be a great concern for some men.

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.

However, many men who develop prostate cancer never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other causes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, erectile dysfunction and other symptoms. Many factors, including genetics and diet, have been implicated in the development of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is most often discovered by physical examination or by screening blood tests, such as the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test. There is some current concern about the accuracy of the PSA test and its usefulness. Suspected prostate cancer is typically confirmed by removing a piece of the prostate (biopsy) and examining it under a microscope.

Further tests, such as X-rays and bone scans, may be performed to determine whether prostate cancer has spread.

Prostate cancer is very common and is an older man's disease. Most men who get it are older than 65. Since prostate cancer is a disease of older men, many will die of other causes before the prostate cancer can spread or cause symptoms. This makes treatment selection difficult.

If prostate cancer is detected early i.e. when it's still confined to the prostate gland then a better chance of successful treatment with minimal or short-term side effects is possible. Successful treatment of cancer that has spread beyond the prostate gland is more difficult. But treatments exist that can help control prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, occasionally chemotherapy, or some combination of these. The age and underlying health of the man as well as the extent of spread, appearance under the microscope, and response of the cancer to initial treatment are important in determining the outcome of the disease.

The decision whether or not to treat localized prostate cancer (a tumor that is contained within the prostate) with curative intent is a patient trade-off between the expected beneficial and harmful effects in terms of patient survival and quality of life. Prostate cancer can be categorized as follows:

* Locally advanced prostate cancer is cancer that has grown through the outer rim of the prostate and into nearby tissue.

* Metastatic prostate cancer is cancer that has spread, or metastasized, to the lymph nodes or other areas of the body.

* Recurrent prostate cancer is cancer that has come back after previous treatment. The cancer can reappear in the prostate, near the prostate, or in another part of the body. If it reappears in another part of the body—often the bones—it is still called prostate cancer because it started in the prostate.