Aggressive Prostate Cancer
Published on Feb 22 2010, in the categories: Cure, Related topics, Stages of disease
A small organ with strategic position - The prostate is a muscular organ-gland, situated just below the bladder of the prostatic lodge, surrounding the first cuff portion of the urethra. The prostate is a chestnut form faced down and headed for the bladder. Dorsal face of the prostate comes in relation with the rectum, making palpation possible through the anus. A man of 20-25 years, the prostate is 4-4.5 cm long, 3-5 cm wide and weighing about 20 grams, having a diameter of about 38 millimeters.
Diseases of the prostate - The prostate is a delicate organ and quite moody, requiring careful, so neglected by most men. Prostatitis is a prostate infection that occurs mainly in young men. The prostate adenoma is a benign tumor, known as the prostatic hypertrophy or adenoma periuretral. Prostate cancer, commonly in men over 50 years, occupies an important place in Urologic Pathology. The prostate cancer has a slow clinical course, insidious, with no immediate events, or noticeable, being often found incidentally, in a general clinical examination.
Epidemiology - As frequency, prostate cancer ranks third in men after lung cancer and stomach cancer, forming the fourth cause of death by cancer. Worldwide distribution show excellent growth, especially in the Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland in the West. In the U.S., for example, in the last five years, the number of cases of prostate cancer doubled and in France, over 25.000 men are touched by this disease annually. Prostate cancer is rare in Eastern Europe and very rare in Asia. As for breast cancer in women, the risk increases with age, therefore, a careful medical examination is recommended in men over 50 years, especially those with family history.
The food-factor. It was discovered that a diet containing fat (especially animal fat), can promote prostate cancer. Cancer occurs less frequently in vegetarian and has a high frequency in those with high protein food and sweets, associated with alcohol and tobacco. At the same time, people who are consuming more than 2-3 times a week fish are not at risk of prostate cancer, than those who do not eat fish at all, or eat it in very small quantities.
Cancer - As noted above, prostate cancer has a slow clinical course and without immediate evidences. It is therefore very important that in their 50’s, men go to the doctor once a year for a rectal examination. This can be done by any doctor, regardless of specialty. Besides the digital rectal exam, in case there is suspicion of cancer should be made and a biopsy and blood analysis, which allows determination of a substance called prostate specific antigen - Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). If there are prostate cancer cases in the family medical background, it is better that such testing be done starting from the age 40.
In a later stage, in the absence of treatment, clinical manifestations are present earlier accompanied by the events due to the distance metastases: acute retention of urine, pelvic pain and bone pain, which must be distinguished from rheumatic pains. Positive diagnosis are suggested by risk factors, symptoms, and supported by local and laboratory examination or confirmed by biopsy with histopathology.
Treatment - The treatment depends on the evolution of the prostate cancer. For patients with aggressive prostate cancer, the doctor will prescribe a more aggressive treatment. If the disease develops slowly, than the patient might not even need treatment.
Thanks to early detection and appropriate treatment, the disease can be effectively fought today. In case of aggressive prostate cancer, hormonal therapy is indicated or radio-hormone (the hormone treatment combined with radiotherapy). In metastatic cancer, hormone therapy is associated with chemotherapy. If the tumor is located at the prostate (stage T1 and T2), the reference is the surgical treatment associated with radiotherapy. T4 tumors should be treated initially with chemotherapy and hormone, tumor irradiation is useful in controlling local or remote metastases. As a palliative, there can be used different surgical procedures.
Diseases of the prostate - The prostate is a delicate organ and quite moody, requiring careful, so neglected by most men. Prostatitis is a prostate infection that occurs mainly in young men. The prostate adenoma is a benign tumor, known as the prostatic hypertrophy or adenoma periuretral. Prostate cancer, commonly in men over 50 years, occupies an important place in Urologic Pathology. The prostate cancer has a slow clinical course, insidious, with no immediate events, or noticeable, being often found incidentally, in a general clinical examination.
Epidemiology - As frequency, prostate cancer ranks third in men after lung cancer and stomach cancer, forming the fourth cause of death by cancer. Worldwide distribution show excellent growth, especially in the Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland in the West. In the U.S., for example, in the last five years, the number of cases of prostate cancer doubled and in France, over 25.000 men are touched by this disease annually. Prostate cancer is rare in Eastern Europe and very rare in Asia. As for breast cancer in women, the risk increases with age, therefore, a careful medical examination is recommended in men over 50 years, especially those with family history.
The food-factor. It was discovered that a diet containing fat (especially animal fat), can promote prostate cancer. Cancer occurs less frequently in vegetarian and has a high frequency in those with high protein food and sweets, associated with alcohol and tobacco. At the same time, people who are consuming more than 2-3 times a week fish are not at risk of prostate cancer, than those who do not eat fish at all, or eat it in very small quantities.
Cancer - As noted above, prostate cancer has a slow clinical course and without immediate evidences. It is therefore very important that in their 50’s, men go to the doctor once a year for a rectal examination. This can be done by any doctor, regardless of specialty. Besides the digital rectal exam, in case there is suspicion of cancer should be made and a biopsy and blood analysis, which allows determination of a substance called prostate specific antigen - Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). If there are prostate cancer cases in the family medical background, it is better that such testing be done starting from the age 40.
In a later stage, in the absence of treatment, clinical manifestations are present earlier accompanied by the events due to the distance metastases: acute retention of urine, pelvic pain and bone pain, which must be distinguished from rheumatic pains. Positive diagnosis are suggested by risk factors, symptoms, and supported by local and laboratory examination or confirmed by biopsy with histopathology.
Treatment - The treatment depends on the evolution of the prostate cancer. For patients with aggressive prostate cancer, the doctor will prescribe a more aggressive treatment. If the disease develops slowly, than the patient might not even need treatment.
Thanks to early detection and appropriate treatment, the disease can be effectively fought today. In case of aggressive prostate cancer, hormonal therapy is indicated or radio-hormone (the hormone treatment combined with radiotherapy). In metastatic cancer, hormone therapy is associated with chemotherapy. If the tumor is located at the prostate (stage T1 and T2), the reference is the surgical treatment associated with radiotherapy. T4 tumors should be treated initially with chemotherapy and hormone, tumor irradiation is useful in controlling local or remote metastases. As a palliative, there can be used different surgical procedures.
If you liked this post, subscribe to our blog by filling your e-mail address below:
Want to add something? Post your comments