What
is prostate cancer?
This is a malignant condition affecting the male reproductive appendage, the
proatate gland. It can be confined to the tissue of the prostate or spread beyond
it to other parts of the body.
Who is at risk to be diagnosed with prostate
cancer?
all male are at risk, however, some more than others. Older age, African, African
American and Afrocarribean race. They are more likely to develop prostate cancer
compared with Caucasian counterparts and nearly twice as likely to die from
the disease.
A family history of the disease can all
increase the likelihood of a man being diagnosed with
the disease. Men with a single first-degree relative—father,
brother or son—with a history of prostate cancer
are twice as likely to develop the disease, while those
with two or more relatives are nearly four times as likely
to be diagnosed. The risk is highest in men whose family
members were diagnosed before age 65.
There is a dramatic rise in risk as a man's
age increases. More than 65% of all prostate cancers
are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
What are the signs and symptoms of prostate
cancer?
If the cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience
any symptoms. When they do, they include symptoms such as urgency; frequent,
hesitant, or burning urination; blood in the urine; difficulty in having an
erection; pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs or weight
loss.
Because these symptoms can also indicate
the presence of other diseases or disorders, men who
experience any of these symptoms should undergo a thorough
examination to determine the underlying cause of the
symptoms.
If there are no symptoms, how is prostate cancer detected?
Screening for prostate cancer can help to detect early forms of the disease.
It can be performed in a doctor's office using three procedures: the digital
rectal examination (DRE), the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test and
transrectal ultrasound scan .
It is recommended that both the PSA and
DRE should be offered annually, beginning at age 50,
to men who have at least a 10-year life expectancy. Men
at high risk, such as African American men and men with
a strong family history of one or more first-degree relatives
diagnosed at an early age should begin testing at age
45. Men at even higher risk, due to multiple first-degree
relatives affected at an early age, could begin testing
at age 40. Visit Prostate Care Initiative for more information.
Can prostate cancer be cured?
In general, the earlier the cancer is caught, the more likely it is for the
patient to remain disease-free.
If prostate cancer is detected in the local
and regional stages, the cure rate for prostate cancer
is very high—nearly 100% of men diagnosed at this
stage will be disease-free after five years.
What are the treatment option?
Treatment options available for men with prostate cancer include watchful waiting,
surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy any or all of
which may be used alone or in combination at different times depending on the
stage of disease and the need for treatment.
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