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Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer is Known as the Non-Smoking Man’s Cancer as it is the Next Most Common Kind of Cancer That Affects Men in the US

Prostate cancer is cancer that grows in the prostate gland. The prostate is a tiny walnut-shaped gland that produces seminal fluid, nourishes, and transports sperm. But did you know that prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men?

Heavy smokers had a 24 to 30 percent higher risk of dying from prostate cancer than non-smokers. Still, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in non-smokers in the United States.

How Common is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer affects one in every nine males at some point. The second most frequent cancer in men, after skin cancer. Every year, prostate cancer is diagnosed in about 200,000 American males. Numerous effective therapies are available, and some guys don’t require care. However, the disease still claims 33,000 lives in men each year. (Source: Cleveland Clinic

What are the Different Types of Prostate Cancer?

The majority of prostate cancers are malignant tumors or adenocarcinomas. This type of cancer begins in the cells of secretory glands. Other types of cancer rarely develop in the prostate.

These are some cases:

  • Neuroendocrine Cancers
  • Sarcomas
  • Transitional Cell Carcinomas or TCCs
  • Cancers of the Small Cell.

(Source: Cleveland Clinic

What are the Symptoms Linked to Prostate Cancer?

  • Frequent urination and sometimes urgently, especially at night
  • Weak urine flow or intermittent flow
  • Painful urination
  • Incontinence of the feces
  • Erectile dysfunction and painful ejaculation.
  • Blood in urine or sperm 
  • Pain in the hips, lower back, and chest
  • Numbness in the legs or feet

(Source: Cleveland Clinic

How Can Prostate Cancer Be Diagnosed?

The best approach to detect prostate cancer early is through screenings. At age 55, if your cancer risk is average, you’ll likely undergo your first prostate screening. If you are Black or your family has a history of the disease, your doctor might begin testing you early. Screening typically ends at the age of 70, though it may go on under certain conditions.

Prostate cancer screening exams include:

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Blood Test

The prostate gland produces a protein known as protein-specific antigen (PSA). PSA levels that are elevated may indicate cancer. If you have BPH or prostatitis, your levels will also rise.

Digital Rectal Exam

Your healthcare provider inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum and feels the prostate gland located in front of the rectum. Bumps or hard spots could be signs of cancer.

Biopsy

The only sure way to diagnose prostate cancer is with a needle biopsy to sample tissue for cancer cells. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology produces detailed images of the prostate. 

(Source: Cleveland Clinic

How is Prostate Cancer Treated?

External beam radiation therapy

A machine delivers powerful X-ray beams directly to the tumor during external beam radiation therapy. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy is a type of external radiation therapy that uses high doses of radiation to treat the disease.

Prostatectomy

The diseased prostate gland is removed during this surgical procedure. Through small abdominal incisions, surgeons can perform laparoscopic and robotic radical prostatectomy. Although both are effective in cancer removal, these procedures are less invasive than an open radical prostatectomy, which requires a larger abdominal incision. 

(Source: Cleveland Clinic

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