Tests, symptoms and risks of prostate cancer in American men.
There is probably no word in the English language that strikes fear into the hearts of so many people than cancer, and prostrate cancer adds the fear of impotence in men.
Cancer is the result of the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of tissue cells. There is always a wide variety of theories to explain the causes of cancer, some speak of heredity, others environment, diet, age, sex or ethnic background.
For men who develop prostate cancer, approximately ten percent seem to be caused by mutated DNA. Other culprits have been increased levels of certain hormones and diet. Prostate cancer is also the most common form of cancer in American men. Statistics show that the higher the age of the man, the more likely he is to develop prostate cancer. At age 50, the statistical ratio is one in four men while 80 year olds have a one in two ratio.
Although it is the most common type of cancer in American men, it is not the leading cause of cancer deaths. Surprisingly enough, even though men have a thirty percent chance of having prostate cancer, only three percent actually die from the disease.
The prostate gland itself surrounds the lower part of the male bladder. It sits in front of the rectum but behind the pubic bone. It is the prostate gland that produces the majority of the fluid in a man's semen. It is this fluid that carries the sperm and nourishes them. The prostate isn't connected to the testicles. Instead there are ducts that allow the fluids to enter the urethra during ejaculation.
The best chance a man has of surviving prostate cancer with minimal side effects is early detection. The key to early detection is to have a yearly physical that includes a prostate exam after the age of 40. This exam needs to be done BEFORE any symptoms appear. The two most common ways to check for prostate cancer is by digital exam and Prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests.
In a digital exam the doctor will apply lubricant to his or her exam gloved finger and will then tell the patient to bend over (and relax) to allow the insertion of the finger into the rectum. Once the finger is inserted the doctor will be able to probe the prostate because the gland sits right next to the rectum. This probe will allow the doctor to feel the backside of the gland.
Seventy percent of the cancerous tumors of the prostate develop on the outer part of the gland and feel like hard knots during their early stages. Unfortunately, thirty percent of prostate tumors are formed deep within the gland and the doctor won't be able to feel them by digital examination.
A prostate specific antigen test uses a small amount of blood. The prostate specific antigen is naturally produced in the prostate gland and it is one of the substances that help to liquefy semen. The test itself checks for levels of the antigen in the blood stream in a higher than normal amount. High levels don't always mean the patient has cancer. They can also mean an enlargement or an inflammation of the prostate.
The American Cancer Society recommends that all men have the test annually after the age of 50. Men who have a family history of the disease or are of African American decent should begin testing at 40.
If your doctor suspects cancer from either of these tests, orders may be given for an ultrasound, CT Scan, MRI or even a biopsy.
Prostate cancer can be an insidious disease. Many times the disease doesn't show any symptoms in its early stages. In fact, forty percent or more of the cases of prostate cancers aren't discovered until after they have metastasized beyond the prostate gland.
The most common symptoms of prostate cancer are:
Persistent, dull aches or pain in the lower pelvic region.
An increased need to urinate more frequently.
Difficulty during the initiation of urination.
Painful urination.
Urine flow is weak or just dribbles.
Involuntary starting and stopping of urinary flow.
A feeling that you need to continue urinating even though your bladder is empty. A "full" feeling to the bladder.
Increase in frequency of nighttime urination.
Bloody urine.
Painful ejaculation.
Lack of appetite and/or an unexplainable loss of weight.
Besides being male, there are certain known risk factors for prostate cancer. As your age goes up, so does the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. More than eighty percent of men with the disease are over the age of 65.
Oddly enough, there are ethnic factors when dealing with prostate cancer. Black men are most likely to not only have the disease but to have the more aggressive forms at an earlier age. Men of Asian descent are the least likely to develop prostate cancer while Hispanic and Native American men have a slightly higher risk than Asian but lower than Whites.
Those men who have immediate family members (father or brother) who has had prostate cancer statistically have doubled the risk of developing the disease than other men. It has also been found that men with a family history of the disease will develop it at an earlier age.
Researchers have also linked prostate cancer to diets high in fat. Their theory is that the fat causes an increase in testosterone production. The increased testosterone levels can then increase the speed of the production of cancerous cells.
Yearly exams are crucial to anyone's health but when dealing with prostate cancer, it can make the difference between life and death. If detected early and still confined to the prostate gland, the survival rate is greatly increased while the side effects are often minimal. Once beyond the confines of the gland, treatment is possible but the outcome becomes less hopeful.
