Prostate cancer
The prostate is a gland that can only be found in men. It may be the size of a walnut but it grows when the man becomes more mature. It can be found at the base of the bladder and above the rectum. It makes part of the male reproductive system.
Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and prostate cancer has the same symptoms but are two very different diseases. Both can cause changes like urinary frequency, narrowing and slowing of urine stream and hesitancy. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst men.
In most cases it is slow growing and highly curable. However highly aggressive cancers are uncommon especially in younger men. In a simple blood test they measure the prostate specific antigen (PSA) that will only be found in the prostate cells. Prostate cancer cells produce a greater amount of this protein. The test results shows as numeric values and the normal value must be under 4. When the amount is taken then the patient’s age is taken into consideration. Men under 60 must have an upper limit of 3 and men above the age of 70 have a limit of 4. A higher number of PSA does not necessarily mean that the patient has cancer because infection or an inflated prostate can also elevate the amount of PSA.
If the blood test is done then they can do a biopsy. Where they cut a small piece of the tissue so that it can be tested for cancer. It is the only way to definitely diagnose a patient if he has prostate cancer. An ultrasound can also be performed. An ultrasound probe will be placed into the rectum and a spring needle-within-a-needle will be inserted through the probe and a few millimetres into the prostate. It extracts a few tissue cores so that it can be tested. This procedure is hardly painful but can be a bit uncomfortable and can be sent home almost immediately.
A pathologist tests the tissue to see if there is any abnormal cells are present and a follow up will be done. When a biopsy is performed then the pathologist will grade the cancer from one to ten. Stating if it’s non cancerous or very aggressive. Once the patient is diagnosed then the patient can start treatment. Treatment ranges from chemotherapy to radiation depending on the severity of the cancer. It is highly recommended to get a bone scan to inspect if any cancer has spread. The pelvis and the abdomen must undergo a CAT scan to pick up if there is any abnormality.