Understanding Prostate Cancer

 by Oliver Moras

What is Prostate Cancer?

The prostates are a gland which produces seminal fluid in males and this nourishes and transports sperm. Prostate cancer is a more common cancer and while in most cases the cancer grows slowly, confined to the prostate gland, meaning that it may need minimal or no treatment, it can sometimes spread and grow at a very rapid rate. Due to its high frequency and nature, it is commonly screened for in males so that it can be detected early, before spreading beyond the prostate, for a higher chance of treatment.

Symptoms

While the cancer may have little or no symptoms in its beginning stages, at more advanced stages symptoms include: painful and difficult urination, weaker urination, blood in urine, blood in semen, bone pain, weight loss without trying and erectile dysfunction.

Risk Factors

The major risk factors of this type of cancer are: old age, race, family history and obesity. 

With people aged over 50 and people with a family history for the gene for breast cancer (BRCA1 or BRCA2), their likelihood to develop prostate cancer increases compared to others.

On the other hand, studies have shown that race and obesity also have a correlation to the aggression of the cancer as well as the chance to develop it; however, it should be noted that the reasons for the link between race and risk isn’t determined yet, although it’s likely to be related to environment and not just genetics.

Complications 

The cancer and its treatment can lead to complications. It could metastasize and spread to nearby organs (e.g. bladder) as well travel through your bloodstream or lymphatic system (to affect other organs and bones). This may result in broken bones and if the cancer has spread to other areas of the body, it will be hard to cure the cancer even if it can be controlled. Another complication is urinary incontinence and the treatment for this will depend on the type the patient develops as the severity and likelihood to improve varies. In more serious cases, it could be treated with medications, catheters and surgery, each having their own further possible complications. Finally, the last major possible complication is erectile dysfunction which can stem from surgery, radiation or hormone treatments. While medications, vacuum devices and surgery are able to help achieve an erection, similarly to the treatment of incontinence, they each have their own possible complications too.

Prevention

A method of preventing prostate cancer could be having a healthier diet. While diet has yet to be proven to be a direct factor of prostate cancer, fruits, vegetables and whole grains will prodive the vitamins and nutrients which will improve your overall health.

In addition regular exercise will also improve your overall health, help maintain weight as well as improve mood and mental health.  It is also important to discuss with your GP your level of risk to prostate cancer as medicines which are able to reduce the risk exist. For example, taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, (e.g. Propecia, Proscar) and dutasteride (e.g. Avodart), have been shown in studies to reduce the overall risk of developing prostate cancer; however, other studies have shown that these medications may increase the risk of getting a more serious form of prostate cancer so it is something which must be discussed before deciding (although this may not be due to the drugs and it instead that these drugs can only prevent slow growing cases).

Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353087