Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate gland, a walnut-sized organ found in the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in men, preceded by lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Although one man in 6 will get prostate cancer during his lifetime, only 1 man in 32 will die of this disease.
Although experts do not know what causes prostate cancer, they do know a lot about how it behaves. This disease is rare in men under 50 but increases with advancing age. Prostate cancer usually grows very slowly, although in some cases prostate cancer can grow and spread rapidly. But autopsies show that many elderly men, who died of other disease, also had prostate cancer that neither they nor their doctor were aware of.
Most men will not experience any prostate cancer symptoms if the cancer is caught early. When
symptoms do occur, they may include:
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Difficulty starting & stopping urination
- Weak or interrupted urine flow
- Painful or burning urination
- Difficulty in having an erection
- Painful ejaculation
- Blood in urine or semen
- Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs
There are several preventative measures that may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Current prostate cancer studies are examining whether changes in diet and lifestyle can reduce occurrence of the disease. For example, a high-fat diet is thought to be associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. Consuming a low-fat diet that includes adequate fruits and vegetables, combined with exercise, is believed to be good for prostate health.
Other dietary changes or supplements that may prevent prostate cancer include consuming cooked tomatoes (which contain lycopenes), soy protein, green tea, vitamin D, vitamin E, and selenium.
Several chemoprevention trials of drugs that may prevent prostate cancer are ongoing. The NIH-sponsored trial of finasteride (Proscar) showed a 25 percent reduction in prostate cancer risk, but those patients who did develop prostate cancer while on finasteride had a 25 percent increase in the more aggressive type of cancers. COX-2 inhibitors (non-steroidals) like Vioxx have also shown potential anti-cancer properties such as inhibiting cell growth, angiogenesis (developing blood vessels from neighboring tissue), apoptosis (programmed cell death), and invasiveness; these COX-2 inhibitors are also under study.
5-year survival rate for men whose cancer is found in early stages, is nearly 100 percent. This compares to a survival of only one-third of those men whose prostate cancer has spread to other parts of the body. As with other cancers, early detection and continuous improvements in treatments are helping many men diagnosed with prostate cancer survive longer and live better.
The prostate is located just under the bladder and in front of the rectum, the lower part of the bowel. The urethra, the narrow tube that spans the length of the penis and that carries both urine and semen out of the body, runs through the prostate.
In general, the prostate grows slowly after men reach 40 but may eventually interfere with urination when the prostate grows large enough to compresses the urethra. This enlargement of the prostate is often a noncancerous condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH),
However, some doctors believe that prostate cancer begins with very small changes in the size and shape of the cells in the prostate gland. Known as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), these changes are classified as either low grade (almost normal) or high grade (abnormal). Men who have high-grade PIN should be watched carefully as they probably have cancer cells in their prostate. For more information on PIN, click here.
Men who experience any of these symptoms should speak to their doctor. Although most patients will have urinary symptoms related primarily to BPH, a workup for prostate cancer may be indicated by a DRE or an abnormal Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test.
Learn more about prosate cancer diagnosis & treatment options.
