Prostatic Carcinoma is a most common cancer type, which account for 7% of cancers among men, and are the 7th common cancer in the world. The prostate is a small gland in males that produces seminal fluid which is essential for the transportation of sperm.
With increasing age in men, it is very common to occur cancerous changes in the prostate gland. Most of the time these changes are confined to the prostate gland, but sometimes they can spread to other parts of the body as well. So, it is very important to diagnose the changes in the prostate gland early and start treatment before it spreads throughout the body.
Cause for Prostatic Carcinoma
The exact cause of prostate cancer is not identified. The abnormal changes that occur in the DNA of cells in the prostate gland cause cancer.
Risk Factors
- Older age- The risk to get cancer increases with age which shows the highest number of cases at age of 50 years.
- Race- Black people are found to be having an increased risk to get prostate carcinoma and are more prone to have a carcinoma that spreads quicker throughout the body.
- Family history- If a blood relative was diagnosed to be having prostate cancer, the risk is increased. Even if you have a family history of breast cancer it can increase the risk to get prostate cancer.
- Obesity- While obesity increases the risk to get cancer, it also increases the risk of getting cancer which spreads faster and recurs even after treatment.
Signs and Symptoms of Prostatic Carcinoma
- Difficulty in urination
- Blood in the semen
- Reduced stream of urine
- Need of straining to initiate urination
- Erectile dysfunction
If it spreads symptoms such as back pain, weight loss, and low hemoglobin can occur.
Diagnosis
When the doctor assesses you by doing a rectal examination, the prostate gland will be felt as a hard irregular mass to the doctor. Next, the doctor will get a biopsy and check for abnormal cancerous cells to confirm the diagnosis. Ultrasound scan imaging can be used to stage cancer and x-ray imaging can be used to identify whether cancer has spread to the bones.
Complications of Prostatic Carcinoma
- Cancer can spread to nearby organs such as the bladder or to distant organs via blood. Also, can get deposited in bones while causing bone pain and fractures.
- Urinary incontinence can be caused either by cancer itself or by the treatment for cancer.
- Erectile dysfunction can also be caused mainly by the treatment available for prostate cancer as surgery and hormonal therapy.
Treatment
If it is safe to wait and watch the progression of the tumor the doctor may decide to do so without going for treatments straight.
The ideal treatment is the surgical removal of the prostate gland and the surrounding tissue. Radiation therapy can also be used to kill cancer cells in order to minimize the risk of spreading throughout the body.
Prevention
- A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains can increase your complete health. Natural food that contains vitamins and minerals is better than using supplements to reduce the risk of cancer.
- Exercising regularly and maintaining a good weight is essential to reduce risk as obesity is proven to increase the risk.
- If there is a positive family history or any other factor that increases your risk for prostate cancer it is important to meet the doctor and get medications such as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, including finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart) that reduce the overall risk of developing prostate cancer.
References
- Kumar and Clerk’s Clinical Medicine -8th Edition- Parveen Kumar, Michael Clark
- Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine – 10th Edition
