Worried about prostate cancer? Check out the statistics for prostate cancer and you are going to be worried! According to the National Cancer Institute the estimated new cases and deaths from prostate cancer in the United States in the year 2008 reached an all time peak of new cases of 186,320 and deaths as about 28,660! Scary!
It is very important to find first signs and symptoms of prostate cancer as soon as possible in order to have successful treatment.
But what exactly is prostate cancer and how can you make sure you do catch it well in advance before it becomes life threatening?
The prostate gland is located in the lower abdominal cavity of men and is responsible for maintaining the health of the sperms as they move on their tortuous journey form the testis to the penis. It secretes an important as material responsible for keeping the sperm viable for reproduction on their journey out of the body.
The exact location of the prostate gland is very important as it’s placed under the urinary bladder and surrounding the neck of it; just like a collar. The prostate gland surrounds the neck of the bladder called as the urethra which is responsible for allowing the passage of the urine out of the body.
A healthy prostate is tiny and shaped like a circular walnut. But under disease conditions the gland can enlarge and then choke off the urethra leading to the typical symptoms of a full bladder but extreme difficulty in urinating. The prostate’s location is such that the flow of urine can stop completely if the prostate grows too large.
Typical signs and symptoms of prostate cancer include:
- Extreme difficulties in starting to urinate but a constant feeling of a full bladder even after you have passed urine.
- The force of the stream of urine seems very weak
- Urine continues to dribble even after you’ve finished.
- Frequent urination even at night and blood or pus in the urine flow.
- Pain while urinating or ejaculating.
- Extreme pain in the lower back and hip which increases over time.
- Sudden loss of weight with loss of appetite.
If you experience any of these symptoms then it’s essential you visit your doctor and get a complete check up done immediately. Most doctors will refer you to a proctologist who is a specialist in dealing with anal and rectal conditions .A few specialized diagnostic tests are recommended before a diagnosis of prostate cancer can be reached and they are
- DRE or a digital rectal examination by which the doctor will examine the prostate gland manually by palpating it through the rectum and anus wall. An enlarged gland can be felt very easily.
- A blood test is also recommended called as the PSA test or the prostate-specific antigen test. Men who have developed prostate cancer show higher levels of the PSA antigen in blood.
- Further test are recommended if the PSA test come out positive and you may be asked to do a Trans-rectal ultrasound, a cyto-scopy and a trans-rectal biopsy which will definitely ascertain whether you have prostate cancer.
Once a diagnosis has been established then treatment will depend on how for the cancer has spread or in which stage it is. The conventional mainstay of any cancer treatment happens to be radiation, chemotherapy and surgery to remove the affected parts. But this can only be decided by a trained consultation with a doctor.