WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER ?
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| Doctor |
Prostate cancer is a type of malignancy that arises in the prostate gland, found in males and is a part of the male reproductive system, lies below the urinary bladder and in front of the rectum, divided into 2 lobes, right and left . Prostate cancer tends to develop in older men, age 40 and above. In many cases prostate cancer develops slowly, in some cases it can be aggressive and metastasize to other parts of the body.
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| Cancer |
PROSTATE IS AMONG THE TOP 10 LEADING SITES OF CANCER IN INDIA:-
In India it's continuously and rapidly increasing and with this ratio it will become doubled by 2020.The cure rate of prostate cancer is quite high then before.
It's a slow growing cancer but once prostate cancer begins to grow quickly or spreads outside the prostate, it is dangerous.
In most cases patient don't notice the symptoms until the cancer reaches to an advance stage. Most men with prostate cancer die and never know that they have this disease.
In
India, the Prostate is the second leading site of cancer among males.
The data shows that almost all regions of India are equally affected by this cancer, but cities like
Delhi,
Kolkata,
Pune and
Thiruvananthapuram and cities like
Bangalore and
Mumbai in the third leading site of cancer.
It is among the top ten leading sites of cancers in the rest of the population based cancer registries (
PBCRs) of India.
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| Prostate gland |
CAUSES OF PROSTATE CANCER:-
Age is a major risk factor for prostate cancer. The enlargement of prostate , and is common in older men, which blocks the urethra .
The most common cause of prostate enlargement is benign prostatic hypertrophy (
BPH) , include prostate cancer and prostate infection called prostatitis.
Even high level of androgens might increase the risk of prostate cancer in some men. The size of typical prostate is about 3 cm thick , 4 cm wide ( just about the size of walnut) and 20 gm of weight.
As age increases , it start to get larger with increase of age 40-50 years of age the risk increase to 10% while that of men aged above 80 the risk increases to 70%. Out of every 10 prostate cancers patients, 6 are detected in men above
60 years of age .
Number of affected relatives also increases the relative risk for prostate cancer, mostly if the
cancer is found in younger relatives or in families which suggest a genetic or inherited factor history of prostate cancer previously.
Consumption of excess amount of calcium through dairy food or supplements increases the risk of developing prostate cancer
SYMPTOMS OF PROSTATE CANCER:-
Prostate cancer usually causes no signs or symptoms in early stages. However, in advance stage prostate cancer may cause signs and symptoms are as follows:-
Difficulty in urination, urinary rheology, bifurcation of urine flow, prolonged urinary course, frequency of urination, urgency to pass urination, increased urine at night, incomplete urine, Discomfort in the pelvic area,Blood in the semen, Erectile dysfunction, Bone pain, Some patients have pain, Blood in the urine, fatigue, loss of appetite, Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet, Loss of bladder or bowel control due to cancer growth pressing the spinal cord.
These symptoms can be caused by cancerous as well as non cancerous prostate conditions. However, if one feels any of such symptoms then consult your
doctor without any delay. The earlier a cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat and risk factor will be seen.
STAGES OF PROSTATE CANCER:-
Stage I: Tumor is limited to prostate. The PSA level is lower than 10. Tumour is found in one-half or less of one lobe of the prostate.
Stage II: Tumor is limited to prostate but PSA levels are higher. The
PSA level is more than 10 but lower than 20. Tumor is found in one-half or less of one lobe of the prostate.
Stage III: Tumor has spread beyond the outer layer of the prostate and may have spread to the seminal vesicles. The PSA can be any level.
Stage IV: Tumor has spread beyond the seminal vesicles to nearby tissue or organs, such as the rectum, bladder, lymph nodes, bones or pelvic wall. The PSA can be any level.
10 years survival rate:-
Stage I 85%
Stage II 72%
Stage III 55%
Stage IV 30%
PREVENTION OF PROSTATE CANCER:-
Since the cause of prostate cancer is not known in most cases, we don’t know how to prevent it. But we can adopt certain practices to decrease the chances of getting
prostate and many other types of cancer
Maintain healthy body
weight and avoid
obesity.
Indulge in regular physical activity.
Limit your intake of high-calorie foods and drinks.
Eat at least
400 gm of
vegetables and fruits each day.
Choose whole grains instead of refined grain products.
Limit the intake of processed and red meat.
Limit the alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks per day.
Avoid alcohol
Limit the intake of dairy foods and diets rich in calcium.
TREATMENT COMPLICATIONS:-
SURGERY (Radical Prostatovesiculectomy): Incontinence,
Impotence, Per rectal bleeding, Deep vein thrombosis, Pulmonary embolism and wound
infection
RADIATION: Impotency, Rectal symptoms including pain,
tenesmus, diarrhea, Bladder symptoms including cystitis, hematuria,
incontinence.
HORMONE DEPRIVATION THERAPY AND ANTIANDROGENS:
Hypogonadism, impotence, decreased libido, decreased muscle mass, increased adipose tissue, osteoporosis, Hot flashes, sweats, and gynecomastia. Rarely, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia.
DIAGNOSIS OF PROSTATE CANCER:-
Medical history and physical exam
PSA blood test:
PSA < 4 ng/ml 9 (Normal).
PSA 4 - 10 ng/ml (Indication of presence of prostate cancer)
PSA is >10ng/ml the chance increases to 50%.
DRE(Digital Rectal Examination): within 24-48 hours of a PSA test.
Biopsy
If prostate cancer is diagnosed, more test need to see if the cancer has spread to other area of the body. This may Include computed tomography (
CT)scans, magnetic resonance imaging (
MRI) scans and
bone scans.
SIDE EFFECTS OF PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT:-
The side effects of treatment vary depending on several factors, and they can be distressing. You should talk through options and concerns with your doctor before deciding which treatment to use for your prostate cancer.
Some common side effects of types of treatment include:
Surgery – many men will have temporary urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control). Almost all men will have a change to their sexual function and most men will have erectile dysfunction (
impotence).
CARING FOR SOMEONE WITH PROSTATE CANCER:-
Caring for someone with cancer can be a difficult and emotional time. If you or someone your known suffering from this disease then support then to be confident and emotionally and mentally strong till the full duration of treatment.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:-
Prostate cancer affects most common in men over
60 years
Prostate cancer can be treated in a variety of ways, including watchful waiting,
surgery,
radiotherapy and
hormone therapy.
Possible side effects of treatment include incontinence and impotence – treatment options should be discussed with your
doctor.
COST OF PROSTATE CANCER SURGERY IN INDIA:-
The cost is in the range of Rs.
4,00,000 to Rs. 6,00,000 (INR) in Indian hospitals which is equivalent to
6,200 to 9,500 USD.
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