Facts You Should Know about Prostate Cancer
The prostate is a small gland in the body that is located just somewhere below a man’s bladder. 1 out of 7 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is considered as the 2nd most common cancer in the US and an average of 30,000 men each year are dying because of it.
Causes of Prostate Cancer
Just like the other cancers out there, prostate cancer starts when the cells in the prostate gland begin to grow and divide much faster than the normal cells. When the other cells have completed their lifespan then it will eventually just die off. Cancer cells on the other hand continue their existence and may even reproduce in the process. By the time these abnormal cells have started to accumulate, it will eventually develop into a tumor. This tumor will then spread to nearby organs, tissues, bones, and lymph nodes.
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
You can also detect prostate cancer by observing if you are inhibiting such symptoms which include:
- Swelling in the legs
- Trouble in urinating
- Decreased force when urinating
- Increase frequency of urination
- Traces of blood in semen and urine
- Pain during ejaculation
- Discomfort in the rectal region or pelvis
It will take months or even years for prostate cancer to develop and for men to experience its symptoms.
Who is at Risk of Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer occurs on men and these factors will determine if they are at risk of it:
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Race –
Asian men have the lowest risk while African American men have the highest.
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Age –
Prostate cancer commonly occurs in men aging 65 and above but the likelihood that it will develop increases after reaching the age of beyond 50.
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Obesity –
Overweight men have high chances of having prostate cancer compared to those who have a healthier weight.
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Family History –
The occurrence of prostate cancer in men will increase if they have a family history of prostate cancer. This means that the closer the relation you have to that relative, the higher chances you will have of experiencing this cancer.
Traditional Treatments of Prostate Cancer
There are numerous treatment options available for men who have prostate cancer which includes:
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Prostate Gland Removal
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Radiation Therapy –
This involves a high-energy radiation process that will shrink and eventually kill the cancer cells in the body.
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Hormone Therapy –
It will stop the body from producing any more testosterone wherein it is a vital component for the prostate tumors to grow.
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Chemotherapy –
It is a drug treatment that incorporates the use of chemicals to kill the cancer cells.
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Brachytherapy –
These are radioactive seeds that are placed within or somewhere near the tumor to shrink and kill it.
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Ultrasound Therapy –
It will heat up the prostate tissues to kill the cancer cells.
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Cryosurgery –
This process involves freezing the tissue until it kills the cancer cells.
It would be best to undergo such treatments when the prostate cancer is still at an early stage. If you allow it to go into the advanced-stage then it will make the cancer very difficult to treat.