Symptoms And Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer

Today, prostate cancer is usually detected through screening, and there are two methods for early detection. The prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) is used, but there are

PSA test results are interpreted as: 0-4 ng/mL is normal. Between 4 to 10 ng/ML is 25% of developing cancer, and > 10 ng/ml is a > 50% risk of cancer. However, some men with normal PSA levels still have prostate cancer, while other men with high PSA levels do not. PSA levels increase with age often due to a higher prevalence of benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH). Therefore, no PSA cutoff can accurately guarantee that a man does not have prostate cancer.

Another method to detect this cancer is with a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). Protein in the blood that is produced only by prostate cells is reflected the volume of both benign and malignant prostate tissue in the PSA. The higher the PSA level is the more likely it is that Prostate Cancer present. (“Prostate

Each year approximately 233,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (Eggener, Cifu, & Nabhan, 2015). In 2015, prostate cancer was the second most common cancer related cause of death among United States men (Eggener, et. al., 2015). While the majority of prostate cancers are slow growing with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 98%, statistics show that when prostate cancer is identified as metastatic, the 5-year survival rate dramatically drops down to 20-25% (Eggener, et. al., 2015). According to these numbers alone, it appears screening for prostate cancer would be a well-accepted practice. However, current methods of screening for this cancer are controversial and has lead organizations like the U.S Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) to different guidelines for screening.

The first reason being the level accuracy of PSA testing is questionable. The test determines a positive for the cancer based on the levels of prostate-specific antigens in the blood of the patient, which can be abnormally high for multiple other reasons not related to prostate cancer. The major evidence supporting said claim is that individuals with more than 4.0 ng per mL (the threshold to test positive) can have false positive rates of 70% (Mulhem 2). The second reason would be the implications of testing positive for prostate cancer, including but not limited to unnecessary treatment of the disease. While the analysis does not back up unnecessary treatment with any statistical evidence, it does go to explain further tests and procedures to confirm and understand the nature of the patient’s condition. This bleeds over to the negative physical and psychological side-effects of regular prostate cancer screening cited by the analysis. Mulhem explains that after testing positive for prostate cancer, more tests are performed to determine the accuracy of the screening and if so, reveal the specificities of the cancer. The most common of these tests being the prostate biopsy, a procedure that causes a significant portion of participants to develop moderate to severe problems requiring a follow-up with their doctor (Mulhem

The next symptom that you may experience is blood in your urine. When urinating, your normal colour should be a yellow or a clear colour, with kidney cancer it tends to turn a rusty red with blood in it. This may also cause pain when urinating that feels like severe cramping.

Page Description: Prostate cancer can be metastatic if early treatment is not performed. Effective treatment methods like radiation therapy can be helpful in treating the associated symptoms.

With all kinds of cancer, there are seven major warning signs. These seven signs found in one person would indicate that the person may be suffering from some type of cancer, and this person should see a doctor immediately. The seven warning signs are a significant change in bowel or bladder habits, a sore that does not heal, unusual bleeding or discharge, thickening or lumps in breast, indigestion or difficulty swallowing, obvious changes in wart or mole, and a nagging cough or hoarseness.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the commonest malignancy tumour in men and is second in cancer related death after lung cancer. PCa is mainly adenocarcinomas originating from the cortex of the gland (D’Elia et al. 2014).

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer share a few similarities, elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Along with enlargement of prostate gland that causes urinary symptoms such as, frequent urination, hesitancy, dribbling, and frequent nighttime urination. However, they are quite different which is why more tests need to be done to confirm one or the other condition. These two diseases are also similar in the fact that they both cause an enlargement of the prostate. However with BPH the central portion of the prostate is enlarged and with prostate cancer more commonly the lateral lobes or side of the prostate are enlarged, but can affect any were on the prostate. Both can even be detected by a digital rectal exam however

Bladder cancer also has another distinguishing sign: hematuria. Hematuria means “blood in urine”; this blood can be visible by the naked eye, or found by a microscopic examination of the urine. Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in males, with approximately 72,570 new cases being diagnosed in the United States each year. The most prevalent risk factor for bladder cancer is tobacco smoking. (“Bladder Cancer”, 2013) E.P. denies history of smoking.

Radiation and hormone therapy are commonly used as follow up treatments after a radical prostatectomy. A meta-analysis by Pinkawa (2010) reported that radiation doses of up to 76-87 Gy are effective in increasing survival in high-risk patients. Androgen deprivation hormone therapy is used to decrease male androgens such as testosterone (TST) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) influencing proliferation of cancer cells in PCa. Multiple forms of hormone therapy exist, all sharing a common goal of reducing TST and DHT levels.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate. The prostate goes through two main growth periods. The first occurs early in puberty and the second begins around the age of 25 and continues during most of the man’s life ("Urology care foundation - What is benign prostatic hyperplasia (bph)?," 2016). BPH normally occurs during the second growth phase.

Prostate cancer shows no signs or symptoms in the early stages. If prostate cancer develops into advance stages it can metastasize, and lead to several manifestations such as, trouble urinating, decreased force in stream of urine, blood in semen, discomfort in the pelvic area, bone pain and erectile dysfunction (ED) (Mayoclinic.org, 2015). Other known signs and symptoms are pain in the hips, spine, ribs and weakness in the legs or feet. Some of these symptoms may also be caused by other diseases or illness (American Cancer Society.org, 2016).

A blood test that tests for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) may also be done. Normally a small amount of PSA is in the blood for healthy men; a higher amount can indicate abnormalities with the prostate. The PSA combined with the DRE test has the highest rate of discovering prostate cancer in its early stages.