Prostate cancer is one of the leading types of cancer in men. In fact, according to The Prostate Cancer Foundation, more than 3 million US men are living with prostate cancer, and in the US, 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his life-time. And for those of African descent, that number is 1 in 7. It is more likely for a man to develop prostate cancer than it is for him to develop colon, kidney, melanoma or stomach cancers combined.
The good news is that this is a cancer that can be treated – especially if it’s detected in the early stages of the disease. Here’s what to know about prostate cancer, and the steps you need to take to ensure that you’re doing all you can to prevent it (or catch it early).
What is the prostate?
The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland that is located just below the bladder at the site where the urethra connects. It’s main functions are supporting sperm nourishment and transport, aiding in urine control, and secreting PSA (prostate specific antigen), which is a protein that helps sperm to retain its liquid state.
As stated above, prostate cancer is very common in men. It typically grows slowly, and if caught early enough is fairly easy to treat. However some types of prostate cancer are more aggressive and may spread quickly, especially if not treated.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Many of the symptoms of prostate cancer are similar to other conditions, so it’s important to get a proper exam to rule out prostate cancer. Men who experience the following symptoms should talk to their doctor.
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Trouble urinating, including starting and stopping urination, or a weak urine stream.
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Blood in the urine or semen
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Painful urination, or ejaculation
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Erectile dysfunction
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Bone pain
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Frequent urination, or needing to use the bathroom multiple times at night
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Pelvic pain
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Pain when sitting
Most people do not experience symptoms of prostate cancer in the early stages of the disease. That’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor about options for getting screened for prostate cancer. There has been some debate about PSA screenings and when to receive them. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons in order to make your decision. (Click here to see what the American Cancer Society recommends.)
How is prostate cancer diagnosed?
Most doctors talk with men about prostate health throughout their life, but especially after they turn 50. Prostate screenings have pros and cons, and you should talk to your doctor about whether or not you’re a good candidate for screening.
If you do present with any of the common prostate cancer symptoms, your doctor will likely recommend conducting a blood test to assess your PSA levels. He or she may also conduct a urine test, and a physical exam to examine the prostate for any abnormalities.
After these tests, if your doctor thinks it might be prostate cancer, he or she may conduct additional tests, such as an ultrasound, or a biopsy.
What are the risk factors for developing prostate cancer?
Doctors are uncertain about what causes prostate cancer, but the cancer occurs when the cells in your prostate become abnormal, and grow and divide at a very rapid rate. This can form a mass of abnormal cells, or a tumor, which can invade nearby tumors, or even spread to different parts of the body.
There are certain things that may increase your risk of prostate cancer. As you age, your risk of getting prostate cancer increases. Race is also a factor, as black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other races. And, if you have a family member that has had prostate cancer, your risk goes up. Finally, if you are obese, your cancer may be more advanced and harder to treat.
Can prostate cancer be prevented?
As always, prevention is always the best medicine, and living an active, healthy lifestyle can put you in a better position as it relates to prostate cancer. Eating a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and exercising every day can help provide good vitamins and minerals and help you to maintain a healthy weight.
Your doctor may also talk to you about taking drugs that can help reduce your risk, if you happen to be a high risk for developing prostate cancer.
What treatment options exist for prostate cancer?
Fortunately, treatment for prostate cancer has been shown to be very effective. And, if caught early, doctors can prevent it from spreading.
The type of treatment you choose will depend on what stage you are at once the prostate cancer has been detected.
Many men and their physicians choose to take a “wait and see” approach (also known as “watchful waiting”), since prostate cancer is typically slow growing and some of the treatment options do have side effects that may out weight the benefit of the treatment.
If you do decide to treat the prostate cancer, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove the prostate (a prostatectomy), or radiation therapy.
For advanced stages of prostate cancer that has metastasized to other parts of the body, your doctor may prescribe chemotherapy or hormone therapy to treat the cancer.
Talk to your doctor about steps to maintain a healthy prostate, and learn more about your options for prostate screening.
5 Responses
I do not recommend a wait and see approach to prostate cancer. At this point you do not know if you have the aggressive form of the cancer and delay can be fatal. A simple blood test called 4KSCORE will give you a probability of having an aggressive prostate cancer. My own 4k test convinced my urologist to preform a biopsy.which turned out to be a Gleason 9(high risk) cancer. Another complicating/delaying factor was that I had artificial hips and this caused the early MRI to be inconclusive causing unfortunate delay in treatment. Good news, prostate was removed and it did not spread beyond the prostate. After one year since the surgery, I am still at high risk and PSA being monitored every three months.
Formost men,. you’re more likely to die from old age than from prostate cancer. That’s why docs are cautious when they talk with men aboiut getting PSA tests because abnormal PSA tests lead to biopsies, which can lead to unnecessary prostatectomies, which I know—as a prostateectomy patient six months ago—have huge and long-lasting effects. Because I had a previous benign prostate surgery, I’m 74, and my prostate was huge, I’m one of the 10-20% of the men whose prostatectomy will probably result in permanent impotence and incontinence.
This isn’t to say I don’t recommend PSAs, biopsies, and surgery. I certainly needed the surgery, and it appears the cancer didn’t metastasize. But living with the effects of the surgery has been difficult to adjust to. My mind and expectations say my body should be healing much faster; my body says otherwise.
PS: If you do need surgery, I hope your doctor uses the DaVinci robot. Despite a seven-hour surgery, I was out of the hospital in less than 24 hours, which was a blessing.
Fortunately my doctor always measures the PSA during my annual check-up. I strongly recommend you tell your doctor to always perform that test on your annual check-up. (And yes, that’s why you need a check-up once a year.)
Please encourage men to have their PSA measured at least a couple of times in their early 40s. This will establish a baseline for comparison to PSA measurements they will likely want to get annually starting in their 50s. (Yes, I believe in screening. It may have saved my life.) In some cases, those early PSA readings may even reveal early-onset prostate cancer. I personally know two men in whom prostate cancer was discovered at ages 40 to 42 though, admittedly, both were known to be at high risk due to their family history. Still, better to be safe than sorry!
Hii… My name is Hardeep Singh .I have come across your blog couple of months back and got to know about the problem that i was facing . I wasn’t aware that i could be the minor stage of the disease which will lead to PROSTATE CANCER. I found your blog very helpful and it gave me awareness to get checked up from doctor and started having the medication as soon as possible . Just want to thank you for such valuable information .