The prostatic specific antigen, PSA, is the best instrument available for the detection of prostate cancer in early, therefore curable, stages. The test measures the PSA levels in the blood. Neoplastic prostatic cells produce this protein in excess, thus determining higher levels of PSA in the blood. Still, the method cannot make the difference between higher PSA levels caused by the cancer and higher PSA levels caused by other elements, such as infection or recent ejaculation. Prostate cancer warning signs are nearly non-existent since the illness is evolving slowly and without any symptoms in the initial stages.



Some of the prostate cancer warning signs include pain during urination, frequent urination, especially at night, and the presence of blood in the urine and sperm. Lumbar pain, chest pain, pelvic pain or pain in the thighs can signal that the illness has started dissemination towards the ribs, pelvis or other bones. All these symptoms, however, can have other causes, such as infections or prostate adenoma, or an increase in volume of the prostate, which is a natural result of aging.



The doctor will suspect the presence of prostate cancer if the rectal digital examination (a maneuver performed using gloves and checking the contour of the rectal wall) reveals the presence of a bump or other prostatic irregularities. Once the bump is discovered, usual practice requires a biopsy (by which the doctor collects some prostatic tissue and examines it under a microscope). The American Cancer Society recommends the annual performance of a rectal digital examination for men aged over 50 and also the annual performance of a PSA test.

At the moment, it is still debated if men of susceptible age (generally over 45) should undergo screening for prostate cancer. Controversy involved in routine screening is maintained by several factors, including the fact that regular PSA tests are not always conclusive and mass screening requires some hefty costs. However, recent progress could soon lead to the promotion of tests targeting pre-cancerous prostatic lesions, tests that specifically target and inquire prostate cancer warning signs.

These tests will be able to make the difference between DNA cells and cells with neoplastic DNA. Such tests will tell the doctor if you are predisposed to prostate cancer long before the appearance of detectable cancer cells. Local cancers can be treated with hormones that fight the tumor or cytostatic medicine, which reduce the tumor and suppress its capacity to metastasize (to invade the surrounding tissue). Certain drugs can slow down the evolution of cancer once it has gone beyond the prostate gland.



In many cases prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate) is associated with radiotherapy. However, this operation can entail impotence and urinary incontinence. An alternative to this treatment would be therapy with radioactive implants, where a radioactive iodine source is inserted into the prostate. The procedure, performed under anesthetics, protects the healthy and surrounding tissue and seems to be as efficient as surgical intervention in the early stages of cancer.