Being a responsible father is not only defined by providing well for your family; it also means ensuring you remain healthy so you can enjoy time with your family. Thus, being aware of the illnesses and how to prevent them is something every man should be aware of.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that occur in men. It develops in the prostate, a walnut-sized gland in the male reproductive system which is responsible for producing substances that help in the nourishment and transit of sperm. Most types of prostate cancer grow slowly and occur only in the prostate itself. However, more aggressive forms of the disease do exist and may sometimes spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, bones and the lungs.
What causes prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer happens because of mutations that occur in normal cells in the prostate. This mutation causes the cells to grow and multiply uncontrollably, accumulating as tumors. As is the case with many other types of cancer, experts are still not sure what exactly causes the mutations; however, studies suggest that genetics, age and diet may have something to do with it.
Symptoms
A man with prostate cancer may not experience any symptoms, especially during the early stages of the disease. However, more advanced stages of prostate cancer may cause noticeable warning signs. The following are the most common:
• Changes in urinary function, including more frequent urination, difficulty in starting a stream of urine, difficulty holding back urine, weaker urine flow, presence of blood in urine stream, and painful urination.
• Changes in sexual function, including erectile dysfunction, presence of blood in semen, and painful ejaculation.
• Frequent pain in thigh, lower back and pelvic bones. These symptoms may indicate that the cancer has spread to the bones.
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It is important to have your symptoms checked by your doctor so that prostate cancer can be ruled out. Other health conditions, including a non-cancerous swelling of the prostate known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis, a type of infection, may cause symptoms that are similar to those of prostate cancer.
Are you at risk?
While it is not yet clear what causes prostate cancer, it is known that some groups of men develop the disease more than others. These include:
• Older men. The risk of prostate cancer increases as a man grows older. More than 60 percent of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
• Men who have a family history of prostate cancer. Studies have shown that if you have immediate relatives who have had prostate cancer, you are more than twice as likely to develop the disease yourself compared to people who have no family history of the disease. Also take note that the younger the age of your relations when they were diagnosed with cancer, the greater the risk.
• Men who are black. A study conducted by Whittemore et al in 1995 revealed that the prevalence of prostate cancer among Asians in the United States is less than those among blacks and whites. Other studies show that black men are the ones most at risk; they are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than any other racial group in the U.S. In 2009, researchers who initiated the African-American Hereditary Prostate Cancer Study identified a genetic mutation in some black families which may triple the risk of prostate cancer in black men who carry the gene.
• Men who live a “Western” lifestyle. Prostate cancer cases are most common in the United States and more common in Australia and Europe than in East Asia. One factor may be the tendency for those living in developed countries to eat more red meat and less vegetables and fruits than those from developing countries. Another factor is the longer life expectancy in these countries, making men more vulnerable to prostate cancer as they age.
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Screening and Diagnosis
Talk to your doctor about the benefits of regular prostate cancer screening procedures. Options include digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen test (PSA test). When you should start screening depends on whether you have specific health risks. For example, you may need to start screening sooner than most men if you have a family history of prostate cancer or if you are old enough (some men are advised to start screening as early as 40).
Diagnosing prostate cancer, on the other hand, may include everything from a physical exam to biopsy:
• Digital Rectal Exam (DRE). DRE is a physical internal examination of the prostate. The patient will be asked to undress and to lie down on an examination table, and the doctor will insert a gloved finger (digit) into the rectum to check the prostate for abnormalities.
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. A PSA test involves drawing blood from a patient to check for its prostate-specific antigen level. This serum appears elevated when prostate cancer is present. Do note, however, that PSA levels may also become elevated in the presence of other benign prostate disorders.
• Transrectal ultrasonography. This type of ultrasound involves inserting a probe into the rectum which produces images of the prostate gland by using sound waves. It is helpful in detecting prostate cancer, as well as benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostatitis.
• Biopsy. The physician may also order a biopsy, which involves collecting a sample of prostate tissue to check if it is indeed malignant or cancerous.
If the presence of cancer cells is confirmed, other methods like bone scan, x-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan and positron emission tomography (PET) scan may be ordered by your doctor to determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
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Treatment and management
The choice of treatment for prostate cancer depends on a number of factors, including how serious the cancer is, the rate at which the cancer cells are progressing, if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, and what type of treatment is suitable based on the patient’s state of health. Here are some of them:
• Prostatectomy. This is the surgical removal of the prostate gland.
• Radiation therapy. A doctor may recommend either an external beam radiation therapy (teletherapy) or an internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy). With teletherapy, radiation coming from a machine is focused on the part of the body where the prostate is located. Brachytherapy, on the other hand, involves implanting rice-sized radioactive rods into the tumor itself.
• Hormone therapy. Because the hormone testosterone causes the growth of both healthy and malignant prostate cells, hormone therapy may be recommended. It may involve the use of drugs that help prevent the production of testosterone or help prevent the hormone from interacting with the prostate gland. It may also involve the removal of the testicles (orchiectomy), which also reduces the levels of testosterone in the body.
• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs are administered through the veins. Since it is a systemic kind of treatment (the whole body is involved), it may be an option for patients whose cancer has spread beyond the prostate.
• High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound. A high-intensity focused ultrasound is used to destroy the cancer cells.
• Cryosurgery. This type of procedure involves freezing the cancer cells using an extremely cold gas administered through a needle.
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Prevention
No specific procedure or activity will totally prevent an individual from developing prostate cancer. Nonetheless, experts recommend several strategies that may help reduce the risk.
• Eat healthy. Avoid fatty foods and minimize your consumption of red meat and dairy products. If you need protein and fats, choose the healthier option which is to eat fish. Make sure that your diet is full of nutritious fruits and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. Tomatoes, which contain the phytochemical lycopene, and mushrooms, which contain polysaccharides, glycoproteins and proteoglycans, are also believed to be beneficial in inhibiting tumor formation and growth. Also remember that a well-balanced diet is better than overdosing on vitamin and mineral supplements, which some studies suggest may even increase the risk of cancer.
• Exercise. Maintain a healthy weight and improve your overall wellbeing by exercising regularly.
• Avoid substance abuse. Say absolutely “no” to smoking and chuck out all those horrible cancer sticks. Trust us, inhaling cigar smoke is not worth the high prices of cancer treatment, the pain, and your life. Also keep alcohol consumption at a minimum, if at all.
Photo from flickr.com
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