When the cells of the human body start to grow out of control, cancer develops. Every cell in the body has the capacity to grow and change into a cancer cell and spread to other parts of the body.

Prostate cancer happens when the cells in the prostate – a small walnut-shaped gland,  begin to grow out of control.

The male reproductive system includes the prostate gland. During ejaculation, the gland produces fluid that mixes with semen. This fluid aids in sperm protection and maintains its health for conception and pregnancy.

The prostate gland is in front of the rectum and beneath the man’s bladder. The urethra passes through the center of the prostate gland. Through the penis and then outside the body, this tube transports urine and semen. Semen-producing seminal vesicles are located behind the prostate gland.

One of the most prevalent cancers in men is cancer in the prostate. It is the second most frequent cancer in men, next to skin cancer. Many prostate tumors develop slowly and remain in the prostate gland. Some prostate cancers spread slowly and may require little to no therapy, while others can be aggressive and spread quickly.

Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer, in its early stages, rarely causes any noticeable symptoms. As the cancer advances, several symptoms could arise:

• Feeling the need to urinate frequently and occasionally urgently, especially at night.
• Weak urinary flow or intermittent urine flow.
• Painful urination (dysuria).
• Erectile dysfunction and painful ejaculation (ED).
• Bowel incontinence
• Blood in the urine or sperm (hematospermia).
• Pain in Chest, hip, and lower back pain.
• Numbness in Foot or leg

Different people may have different symptoms of prostate cancer. Some men may not show any symptoms at all. It is important to note that these symptoms can also be caused by conditions other than prostate cancer.

Causes Of Prostate Cancer

Why some cells in the prostate gland become cancerous (malignant) is unknown to experts.

According to medical professionals, prostate cells change their DNA, which is how prostate cancer starts. The instructions that act as information for a cell and tell it what to do are encoded in its DNA. The changes instruct the cells to multiply and develop faster than usual. When other cells would die, the abnormal cells remain alive.

Thus the exact cause of prostate cancer is still unknown. It seems that genetics, age, and physical health are a few risk factors involved. For instance:

• Age:  The chances of getting prostate cancer are often associated with increasing age. After 50, it becomes more prevalent.
• Family History: If your father, brother, or son has the condition, you are two to three times more likely to have prostate cancer.
• Genetic Inheritance: A small percentage of prostate cancers are caused by inherited mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes and other genes.

Obesity: Compared to persons who are regarded to be of a healthy weight, obese individuals may have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Also likely to have more aggressive cancers that have more possibility to come back after initial therapy.

Treatment Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer can be treated in a variety of ways. However some men never require it because the disease progresses slowly and doesn’t spread. Most prostate cancers are relatively curable with treatment. Some typical remedies include—

Expectant management – Your doctor can advise against starting treatment for the disease immediately if they believe your prostate cancer won’t spread very quickly. Instead, you have two options:

Active Surveillance:  Prostate biopsies and regular PSA testing are used to closely monitor prostate cancer, which is only ever treated if it spreads or presents with symptoms.

Watchful waiting:  Nothing is tested. When symptoms appear, your doctor will treat them. This is typically advised for men who are projected to live for 10 years or less.

External beam radiation therapy: In this procedure, a machine targets powerful X-ray beams directly at the tumor. A form of external radiation therapy called intensity-modulated radiation therapy uses high radiation doses to treat the tumor location.

Brachytherapy: A type of internal radiation therapy that involves implanting radioactive seeds inside the prostate is known as brachytherapy. This method protects the nearby healthy tissue.

Systemic therapies: If the cancer has progressed beyond the prostate gland, your doctor might advise systemic treatments. Chemotherapy, androgen deprivation hormone therapy, and immunotherapy are examples of these systemic therapy treatments.

Focal therapy: A more recent type of treatment called focal therapy targets only the cancerous part of the prostate. If cancer has not yet spread, you might be able to try this treatment. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), cryotherapy, laser ablation, and photodynamic treatment are examples of focal therapy options.

Prostatectomy: The cancerous prostate gland is surgically removed during this treatment. Through small incisions in the abdomen, surgeons can conduct radical prostatectomy laparoscopically and robotically. Although both laparoscopic and robotic surgeries are efficient in removing cancer, they are less invasive than an open radical prostatectomy, which needs a bigger incision.

Conclusion

Males frequently develop prostate cancer, which is a prevalent type of cancer. Most prostate cancers develop gradually and remain in the prostate gland only. For a small percentage of people, the illness may be more aggressive and can swiftly spread to other body parts. Active surveillance is an option for men with slow-growing prostate cancer. This method allows you to delay or even totally skip treatments.

Making the correct treatment choice for you might be challenging. Discuss the treatment choices with your oncologist based on the kind and stage of your cancer. Your cancer is given a stage by your doctor using the results of the cancer screening tests.

The risks, advantages, and side effects of each treatment can be discussed with your doctor. Sometimes patients consult with multiple cancer specialists to acquire their opinions. We refer to this as a “second opinion.” You can select the best course of treatment for yourself with the help of a second opinion.