The prostate gland is a walnut shaped gland that is located at the base or outlet (neck) of the urinary bladder. The gland surrounds the first part of the urethra. The urethra is the passage through which urine drains from the bladder to exit from the penis. One function of the prostate gland is to help control urination by pressing directly against the part of the urethra that it surrounds.
Prostate cancer develops most frequently in men over the age of fifty. This cancer can occur only in men, as the prostate is exclusively of the male reproductive tract. It is the most common type of cancer in men in the United States, affecting one in six men, and it is responsible for more male deaths than any other cancer, except lung cancer.
Stages of Prostate Cancer
Stage I - The cancer is microscopic and completely inside the prostate gland which feels normal when a rectal examination is done.
Stage II - The cancer is still inside the prostate gland, but is larger and a lump or hard area can be felt when a rectal examination is done.
Stage III - The cancer has broken through the covering of the prostate and may have grown into the seminal vesicles.
Stage IV - The cancer has grown into the neck of the bladder, rectum or pelvic wall, or has spread to the lymph nodes or another part of the body.
Causes
The cause of prostate cancer isn't fully understood at present. But there are certain factors that make prostate cancer more likely, which are listed below.
The risk of prostate cancer increases steadily with age and it is rare in men under 50.
Your risk is higher if you have close relatives (a father, uncle or brother) who have had prostate cancer.If several women in your family have had breast cancer (especially if they were diagnosed at under 40 years of age) an inherited faulty gene may be present. The gene may also increase the risk of the men in that family getting prostate cancer. If you are African-Caribbean or African-American you are at highest risk, whereas if you are Asian, you are at lower risk. A high fat diet may increase your risk since fat may increase the production of testosterone which may stimulate the growth of prostate cancer.
Treatments for Prostate Cancer:
1. Radical prostatectomy or surgical removal of the prostate- This is usually performed by urologists. When possible, doctors perform a nerve-sparing procedure that reduces the side effect of sexual dysfunction.
2. External-beam radiation- This is performed by a radiation oncologist and is designed to maximize radiation to the prostate and to minimize radiation to the bladder and rectum.
3. Brachytherapy- A radiation oncologist implants some 100 tiny radioactive "seeds" into the prostate. This sometimes is done in combination with external-beam radiation or radiation applied via removable catheters.
4. Hormone therapy- This technique involves the use of chemicals or types of hormones that block the production of testosterone which may stimulate the growth of prostate cancer. Sometimes doctors use a combination of drugs to block the production of testosterone as well as block the this hormone from penetrating into the prostate where it promotes the growth of cancerous cells. In most men with advanced prostate cancer, this form of treatment is effective in helping both shrink the cancer and slow the growth of tumors.
5. Estrogen Therapy- The most commonly used estrogen in prostate cancer is diethylstilbestrol or DES. Hormone therapy with estrogen has limited use and is generally considered only for patients who cannot have surgery or to relieve pain in patients with metastatic prostate cancer which has spread to the bones. Estrogens were once considered standard treatment for prostate cancer, but this is not the case today. Other drugs with fewer side effects have replaced DES.
