Prostate Cancer: What it is and the Treatment options Available

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About 80% of men who are 80 years old are found to have prostate cancer. It is thought that EVERY man, if they live long enough, will eventually get it. About 1 in 6 of all men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.

The prostate gland is about walnut-sized and located just below the bladder in men. It surrounds the upper portion of the male urethra (the tube that transports both sperm and urine). The primary function of the prostate is to produce semen which is the thick fluid that transports and nourishes sperm.

Prostate cancer is an abnormal, uncontrolled growth of cells originating in the prostate gland and is the most common cancer inn men and the third leading cause of cancer deaths among American men.

It is still controversial as to when men should be screened for prostate cancer. Generally speaking, it is typically felt among physicians that men who have reached the age of 50 should have a yearly DRE (digital rectal exam) and PSA (prostate specific antigen) done on a yearly basis.

The DRE is where a doctor will palpate the prostate by passing a gloved finger into the patient's rectum to feel for any lumps, areas of hardness, or enlargement of the gland.

The PSA is a blood test is NOT a perfect test and some men can have a falsely elevated PSA and not have cancer, and have prostate cancer and have a normal PSA. It has been my experience, however, that a lot of prostate cancers have been detected with an elevated PSA, even with a normal DRE (digital rectal examination).

After a man has been screened and felt to possibly have cancer or be at high risk for prostate cancer, he should be referred to a urologist (a specialist in prostate problems) for further testing which usually consists of an ultrasound exam of the prostate and perhaps a biopsy of the gland itself.

If one is diagnosed with prostate cancer, a discussion with both your primary care physician and a urologist with experience with treating prostate cancer should be carried out. Prostate cancer is a very individual specific disease process. It can be managed various ways and there are no iron clad one way treatments for it.

The decision regarding the best treatment for the patient depends on many factors. These include the age of the man, life expectancy, other disease processes going on, health status, and how aggressive the tumor is.

There are three categories of treatment available. Depending on all factors, "watchful waiting" may be the best alternative. Most prostate cancers are slow growing and do not spread very rapidly. If the patient is elderly and may perhaps experience significant problems from aggressive treatment, then this is the best approach. In this case, regular checkups and testing is all that is needed.

Surgery is the most effective way to cure prostate cancer performing what is called a radical prostatectomy (removal of the entire prostate gland). Radiation therapy uses high energy xrays to kill or significantly shrink the cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. One is called brachytherapy where one uses internal radiation from radioactive materials placed directed into the prostate to kill the cells. The other is external beam radiation where the radiation comes from beams generated outside the body.

Prostate cancer is a very common disease among men and everyone should be aware of what it is, how common it is, and how it should be diagnosed and treated.

Copyright (c) 2006 Ted Crawford

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Dr. Ted Crawford is a family practice physican in Tucson, Arizona and has a website devoted to helping patients find reliable health information and products. His article "Prostate Cancer: "What it is and the Treatment Options Availabe" can also be found at www.babyboomersdoc.com

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