Health

Prostate Cancer:
What You Need To Know
By Zeina Sahyoun, MedLabs Laboratories

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Statistics indicate that one out of six men will get prostate cancer during their lifetimes. Despite it being a leading cancer in men, most of us are still unfamiliar with this highly treatable disease.
Its no secret that men need to pay more attention to their bodies. Several things work against them. They tend to smoke and drink more than women, they dont seek medical help as often and some men de ne themselves by their work, which can add to stress. In addition, there are health conditions that only a ect men, such as prostate cancer. growing, but there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers in which cancer cells spread from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes.

What is the prostate?

50 and two thirds of cases are diagnosed in men over 65.

Risk factors Age: The risk of prostate cancer is higher in men over

The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut that is located just below a mans bladder and in front of the rectum. It begins to develop before birth and keeps on growing until a man reaches adulthood. Male hormones called androgens cause this growth. The tube that carries urine runs through the prostate, which also contains the cells that make some of the uid (semen) that protects and nourishes the sperm.

Family history: Having an immediate family member who has su ered from prostate cancer more than doubles your risk of eventually contracting it. With two or more close relatives who have had the disease, the risk is eight times greater. Diet: Research suggests high dietary fat may be a
contributing factor for prostate cancer. The disease is much more common in countries where meat and dairy products are dietary staples compared to countries where the basic diet consists of rice, soybean products and vegetables.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the prostate gland grow out of control. Most prostate cancers are slow-

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Symptoms

Many cases of prostate cancer are symptom-free, but here are some of the common symptoms: Problems passing urine such as pain, di culty starting or stopping the stream or dribbling Low back pain Pain with ejaculation Erectile dysfunction Blood in the urine or semen

Radiation: Radiation
therapy uses highpowered energy to kill cancer cells. Studies indicate success rates over 85% especially when combined with other therapies.

Screening tests

If youre in a high-risk category, regular screening can help you detect the cancer early on, increasing the odds of eliminating the disease. Prostate cancer is usually screened for in two ways: a doctor can conduct a digital rectal exam or ask for a blood test to check the amount of prostatespeci c antigen (PSA) in your blood. Levels of PSA are usually high in men with prostate cancer, but they can also be high with other prostate conditions. Generally, a biopsy is needed to tell if you have prostate cancer (a sample of tissue is removed from the prostate and sent to a lab). Doctors usually request a biopsy if PSA levels are high and the results of a digital rectal exam (DRE) are abnormal. For men diagnosed with a very early stage of prostate cancer, treatment may not be necessary right away. Some men may never need treatment. In these cases, doctors may recommend simply monitoring the cancer with PSA tests and biopsies. If tests show the cancer is progressing, treatment may include:

Hormone therapy: Lowering

testosterone levels can slow the progression of some forms of prostate cancer and help manage aggressive forms of the disease.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy drugs are often used to treat men with advanced prostate cancer. Cryotherapy: Its a relatively new treatment that consists
of freezing (and hopefully destroying) cancerous cells.

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU): The

opposite of cryotherapy, HIFU uses a high-intensity ultrasound beam to heat the cancerous prostate cells until they die. Following treatment, patients are closely monitored to make sure the cancer does not spread. This involves routine doctor check-ups and PSA blood tests every three months to a year.

Treatment options

Prevention is key

Radical prostatectomy (surgery): Removal of the

prostate gland can be a very e ective treatment (over 90% success rates). However, side e ects may include impotence.

Early detection can play a key role in controlling and eliminating prostate cancer. Thats why its important not to let your squeamishness about testing get the best of you; relax and get it over with. Regular prostate exams, along with knowing the steps you can take to prevent the disease, will go a long way in keeping you healthy.

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Does sex decrease risk of prostate cancer?
Some studies suggest that frequent sexual intercourse might prevent prostate cancer. One theory is that frequent ejaculation allows the prostate to clear itself of carcinogens (agents that can cause cancer). While there is no conclusive evidence to back this up, researchers at the National Cancer Institute in the United States asked 29,000 men, aged 46 to 81, to estimate their number of weekly ejaculations during their 20s, 40s and during the past year. Compared with men who reported seven or fewer ejaculations per month, men who experienced 21 or more were signi cantly less likely to develop prostate cancer.

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