Know more about prostate cancer

 Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a common type of cancer in males, but it is highly treatable in the early stages. It begins in the prostate gland, which sits between the penis and the bladder.

the prostate  gland— is a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.

The prostate has various functions, including:

• producing the fluid that nourishes and transports sperm
• secreting prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein that helps semen retain its liquid state
• helping aid urine control

There are often no symptoms during the early stages of prostate cancer, but screening can detect changes that can indicate cancer. Screening  involves a test that measures levels of PSA in the blood. High levels suggest that cancer may be present.

Males who do experience symptoms may notice:

• difficulty starting and maintaining urination
• a frequent urge to urinate, especially at night
• blood in the urine or semen
• painful urination
• in some cases, pain on ejaculation
• difficulty getting or maintaining an erection
• pain or discomfort when sitting, if the prostate is enlarged

Cause 

The causes of prostate cancer are largely unknown. But certain things can increase your risk of developing the condition.

The chances of developing prostate cancer increase as you get older. Most cases develop in men aged 50 or older.

prostate cancer begins when some cells in your prostate become abnormal. Mutations in the abnormal cells' DNA cause the cells to grow and divide more rapidly than normal cells do. The abnormal cells continue living, when other cells would die. The accumulating abnormal cells form a tumor that can grow to invade nearby tissue. Some abnormal cells can also break off and spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

Most often, prostate cancer spreads to the bones or lymph nodes. It's also common for it to spread to the liver or lungs. It's rarer for it to move to other organs, such as the brain.

 

It's still prostate cancer, even when it spreads. For example, metastatic prostate cancer in a bone in your hip is not bone cancer. It has the same prostate cancer cells the original tumor had.

How Prostate Cancer Spreads all this over the body? 

Cancer cells sometimes break away from the original tumor and go to a blood or lymph vessel. Once there, they move through your body. The cells stop in capillaries -- tiny blood vessels -- at some distant location.

The cells then break through the wall of the blood vessel and attach to whatever tissue they find. They multiply and grow new blood vessels to bring nutrients to the new tumor. Prostate cancer prefers to grow in specific areas, such as lymph nodes or in the ribs, pelvic bones, and spine.

Most break-away cancer cells form new tumors. Many others don't survive in the bloodstream. Some die at the site of the new tissue. Others may lie inactive for years or never become active.

Metastatic prostate cancer is an advanced form of cancer. There's no cure, but  it be can treated and controles. Most men with advanced prostate cancer live a normal life for many years.

Risk factors

Factors that can increase your risk of prostate cancer include:

• Age. Your risk of prostate cancer increases as you age.
• Race. For reasons not yet determined, black men carry a greater risk of prostate cancer than do men of other races. In black men, prostate cancer is also more likely to be aggressive or advanced.
• Family history. If men in your family have had prostate cancer, your risk may be increased. Also, if you have a family history of genes that increase the risk of breast cancer (BRCA1 or BRCA2) or a very strong family history of breast cancer, your risk of prostate cancer may be higher.
• Obesity. Obese men diagnosed with prostate cancer may be more likely to have advanced disease that's more difficult to treat.

Complications of prostate cancer and its treatments include:

• Cancer that spreads (metastasizes). Prostate cancer can spread to nearby organs, such as your bladder, or travel through your bloodstream or lymphatic system to your bones or other organs. Prostate cancer that spreads to the bones can cause pain and broken bones. Once prostate cancer has spread to other areas of the body, it may still respond to treatment and may be controlled, but it's unlikely to be cured.

• Incontinence. Both prostate cancer and its treatment can cause urinary incontinence. Treatment for incontinence depends on the type you have, how severe it is and the likelihood it will improve over time. Treatment options may include medications, catheters and surgery.

• Erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction can result from prostate cancer or its treatment, including surgery, radiation or hormone treatments. Medications, vacuum devices that assist in achieving erection and surgery are available to treat erectile dysfunction

Tests for prostate cancer

There's no single test for prostate cancer.

All the tests used to help diagnose the condition have benefits and risks that your doctor should discuss with you.

The most commonly used tests for prostate cancer are:

• Blood test 
• a physical examination of your prostate (known as a digital rectal examination or DRE) 
• An MRI scan
• biopsy

PSA testing

The blood test, called a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, measures the level of PSA and may help detect early prostate cancer.

Men over 50 can ask for a PSA test from a GP.

Men are not routinely offered PSA tests to screen for prostate cancer, as results can be unreliable.

This is because the PSA blood test is not specific to prostate cancer.

Your PSA level can also be raised by other, non-cancerous conditions.

Raised PSA levels also cannot tell a doctor whether a man has life-threatening prostate cancer or not.

If you have a raised PSA level, you may be offered an MRI scan of the prostate to help doctors decide if you need further tests and treatment.

Prevention

You can reduce your risk of prostate cancer if you:

• Choose a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables. Avoid high-fat foods and instead focus on choosing a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and nutrients that can contribute to your health.
  Whether you can prevent prostate cancer through diet has yet to be conclusively proved. But eating a healthy diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables can improve your overall health.

• Choose healthy foods over supplements. No studies have shown that supplements play a role in reducing your risk of prostate cancer. Instead, choose foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals so that you can maintain healthy levels of vitamins in your body.

• Exercise most days of the week. Exercise improves your overall health, helps you maintain your weight and improves your mood. There is some evidence that men who don't exercise have higher PSA levels, while men who exercise may have a lower risk of prostate cancer.
  Try to exercise most days of the week. If you're new to exercise, start slow and work your way up to more exercise time each day.

• Maintain a healthy weight. If your current weight is healthy, work to maintain it by exercising most days of the week. If you need to lose weight, add more exercise and reduce the number of calories you eat each day. Ask your doctor for help creating a plan for healthy weight loss
• Regular screening of  the Prostate especially in men above 50 years old.
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• Quitting smoking can improve your health in many ways, including lowering your cancer risk. And if you drink, do so in moderation. Some studies suggest that red wine has antioxidant properties that may benefit your health.

• Stay sexually active: Two studies appear to show that men who have a higher frequency of ejaculation (with or without a sexual partner) were up to two-thirds less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Studies are ongoing, but some experts theorize that ejaculation clears the body of toxins and other substances that could cause inflammation.

Treatment 

Some types of prostate cancer grow slowly. In some of these cases, monitoring is recommended. Other types are aggressive and require radiation, surgery, hormone therapy, chemotherapy or other treatments.

• Palliative care

Palliative care and Watchful waiting

• Medical procedure

Brachytherapy and Radiation therapy

• Surgery

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and Prostatectomy

• Medications

Hormone Associated Therapy, Bone health, Chemotherapy, and Urinary retention medication

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you.