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What is Prostate Cancer ? Prostate Cancer is in the industrial countries after lung cancer the most frequent cancer by men, but probably will become the number 1. This is due to the higher average age of the people and because prostate cancer is discovered earlier. Mostly older people rather die with prostate cancer than from prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is like other cancers a disease of uncontrolled cell growth. The prostate is about the size of a walnut. The prostate makes fluid that becomes part of the semen, the white fluid that contains sperm. A doctor should be seen if any of the following symptoms appear: weak or interrupted flow of urine, urinating often (especially at night), difficulty urinating, pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine, or nagging pain in the back, hips, or pelvis. Often there are no symptoms of early cancer of the prostate. When examining a patient, a doctor will insert a gloved finger into the rectum (a rectal examination) to feel for lumps in the prostate. A special test called an ultrasound, which uses sound waves to make a picture of the bladder, may also be done. If the doctor feels anything that is not normal, he or she may need to take cells from the prostate and look at them under a microscope. The doctor will usually do this by putting a needle into the prostate to remove some cells. To get to the prostate, the doctor may put the needle through the rectum or through the space between the scrotum and the anus (the perineum). This is called a fine needle aspiration or a needle biopsy. Also doctors can take a blood test to measure the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen). A normal PSA is in the range from 0 to 4. This antigen comes from prostate tissue or malignant prostate cancer cells. The higher numbers in advanced disease is consistent with higher volumes of tumor cells present in advanced prostate cancer. A high PSA level could also be caused by infection or prostate enlargement (BPH) If prostate cancer cells escapes the prostate we speak of metastases. Prostate cancer cells can spread to lymph nodes, the bones or organs. Recurrent prostate cancer means the prostate cancer has come back after a treatment. Treatment Options local disease: Radiation : Advantages : Cure possible, no chirurgic treatment. Radical prostatectomy : Advantages : Cure possible, easy monitoring recurrence Experimental treatments : - Laser therapy Treatment options prostate cancer outside the prostate (without metastases) - Watchful waiting The hormonal treatment consists of LHRH agonists together with anti-androgens Treatment of metastasized prostate cancer Metastasized prostate cancer is treated with hormonal therapy to decrease the amount of male
hormones, sometimes the testicles are removed to stop the testicles from making testeron. |
