Prostate cancer

In the United States prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death of men and is the most common type of cancer. Prostate cancer is considered a common disease that older men get. Prostate cancer is caused by an uncontrollable growth of cells in the prostate that leads to the formation of a malignant tumor. The prostate gland is normally about the size of a walnut and it lies at the base of the man’s bladder. This gland is responsible for creating semen. As men age the size of the prostate gland normally increases. An abnormal increase in the size of the prostate gland can be a symptom of prostate cancer.

What starts out as prostate cancer and a small tumor can spread throughout entire body via the lymph nodes and bloodstream. When this happens other organs and glands are affected and if left untreated death will occur. One of the first symptoms of prostate cancer is the fact that the man starts to have trouble urinating. The urine flow can be weak or intermittent have the presence of blood and the man will experience pain while urinating. A man with prostate cancer can also be experiencing erectile dysfunction.

Not all prostate enlargements are cancerous. There are certain conditions that cause inflammation of the prostate and an enlargement that are not caused by a malignant tumor in the prostate. If a man has prostate cancer and it is not caught early enough it will commonly spread to the lower back, hips and pelvis and on to other places in the body. Prostate cancer can also be a cause of bone pain and tenderness in these areas.

Prostate cancer is one of the easier cancers to cure if it is caught early enough. However, early prostate cancer may not exhibit any symptoms at all. This is the reason why it is important for older men to go to the doctor on a yearly basis for a checkup. The older a man gets the higher his risk for prostate cancer becomes. Most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are over the age of 50. A man’s risk for prostate cancer is also increased if they have a relative who has had prostate cancer under the age of 60. There is some opinion in the medical field that if a man has female relatives with the history of breast cancer that the man may be more at risk for prostate cancer also. The thinking here is that a faulty cancer gene may be in the family. Statistics prove that men who are from Afro-Caribbean and those who are of Afro-American descent may be at more risk for prostate cancer as well.

Treatment for prostate cancer can be dependent upon how far the cancer has developed and spread and how aggressive it is. The course of treatment is also determined by the health and age of the man. There are various types of treatments for prostate cancer. Surgery and removal of the prostate gland and radiation therapy are the most common types of treatments. Some types of prostate cancers grow faster than others so different treatments may be applied. If the cancerous tumor is a slow growing tumor and the patient is considered elderly, the doctor may choose to not treat patients but to wait and watch carefully to see if the tumor continues to grow.

Western countries have a higher prostate cancer rate than other countries. For this reason diet it is thought to be a major factor in the risk of developing prostate cancer. The high fat diet in the Western world may be a causative factor. Men who are overweight can reduce their risk for prostate cancer if they reduce the amount of animal fat they eat and increase daily amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Last updated on Oct 16th, 2009 and filed under Cancer Research, Genitourinary Disorders. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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