The male prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland that produces seminal fluid. Cancer of this gland is called prostate cancer and it affects one in six men in the United States according to the Mayo Clinic website. It is one of the most common cancers among men.
Most cases of prostate cancer are detected through a routine screening by a doctor and are often caught after the cancer has spread beyond the prostate. The screening tests the doctor uses are a PSA test and a digital rectal exam (DRE). The PSA test checks for the level of the prostate-specific antigen. If the level is high, there may be a problem with the prostate. The DRE test involves a doctor inserting a lubricated finger into the male’s rectum to feel for bumps on the prostate.
Symptoms
The earliest symptoms of possible prostate cancer include urination problems, including trouble urinating, starting and stopping and decreased stream. These urination problems are more closely associated with an enlarged prostate or a prostate infection rather than cancer.
Other symptoms in order of how far cancer has spread include:
- Blood in urine
- Blood in semen
- Legs swelling
- Pelvic discomfort
- Bone pain that doesn’t go away
- Bone fractures
- Compression of the spine
Causes
Although there is no pinpointed cause for prostate cancer, research suggests that both nature and nurture may play a role. These causes include heredity, ethnicity, hormones, diet and environment.
Risk Factors
If a man has one, some or all of these risk factors for prostate cancer, he may opt to begin prostate cancer screening earlier than the recommendation of age 50.
- Age: After age 50, the risk increases.
- Race: African American men have a higher risk of prostate cancer.
- Family History: If a father or brother has prostate cancer, the higher the risk for a man.
- Diet: Eating a diet high in fat and being obese may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
- High Testosterone Levels: Testosterone stimulates prostate growth.
The Cancer is Spreading
If a doctor has determined a man has prostate cancer, the doctor will run tests to determine how far the cancer has spread. These tests include a bone scan, ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a lymph node biopsy.
Grading and Staging the Cancer
Grading needs to take place before a cancer stage can be assigned. Grading involves scoring how aggressive the cancer is. Tissue samples are studied from a biopsy and compared with healthy, normal prostate cells.
The Gleason score rates the cells from one to five based on the two most common cancer patterns identified. These two numbers add up to determine an overall score from two to 10: two being a nonaggressive cancer and 10 being very aggressive. The more aggressive cells are, the more likely the cancer will spread quickly.
Based on how far the cancer has spread, it is now given a stage number. Stages range from one to four.
Stage One means the cancer is very early. It is confined to a microscopic area the doctor can’t feel. In Stage Two the cancer can be felt but it is still only in the prostate. When the cancer has spread to the seminal vesicles or other nearby tissues, this is Stage Three. If cancer has spread to lymph nodes, bones, lungs or other organs, this is Stage Four.
Complications
Complications can arise from prostate cancer and its treatment. One of the most worried about complications among men is that the diagnosis and/or treatment will leave them with erectile dysfunction. This is a complication, but can be treated. Other complications include:
- The spread of cancer
- Pain (especially once it hits the bones)
- Difficulty urinating
- Depression
Going to the doctor for an annual exam is the best defense against prostate cancer. Other things a man can do is to eat well and limit fat intake, exercise regularly and speak to a doctor about taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) which may prevent prostate cancer.
